Tatnam Organic Patch

Those who didn’t get to the workday missed out on a delicious pavlova made by Fizz, with fresh strawberries from the Patch. mmmmm

Busy day down at the patch today, we had our Annual General Meeting, and a workday, and we were open as part of Big Dig Bournemouth and Poole – well we had the bunting up, and one neighbour came in for a look.

Hedgehog hotel and feeding station

Ken and Ruth brought down a feeding station and nesting site for hedgehogs. Great to attract these to the patch, since they should find the slugs much quicker than we do.

Gary reading out the minutes to get to the food quickly

Our traditional AGM, mostly the same faces volunteering to be on the committee, but Bob relieving Ken of the chore of being treasurer. Our chairman, Mark having left his long list of agenda items and chairman’s report, had to make it all up on the spot. Several changes were proposed and then deferred for another year. All agreed that the tomatoes in the greenhouse had not done well, but the need to feed them with Comfrey liquor was not well known, and the water system probably needs a good clean through.

At last we get to the food

Of course the real reason we all go to the Patch is to feast on the lovely food that everyone brings down. Everyone looks a bit intent in this picture, as having started the AGM in sunshine outside the greenhouse, we all got a bit cold !

Mark hand pollinating the Peach tree in the greenhouse

Last year we had one solitary peach on our new tree, so this year, and we might be a little late, we hand pollinated the flowers, Andy having popped home for a paintbrush.

Fizz and Bob working whilst the world looks on

There was good work done, but there was also lots of sitting around talking, or in Mateo’s case, playing with worms.

Sunday Jan 4th

I was late down to the workday, everyone was already busy tucking into puddings, and Brendan, Tat and the girls had been and gone.

Workday Lunch Jan 2015

There was pruning of the Bramley Apple tree, the grapevine and the gooseberries. Which was good as I took a gallon of apple juice home from the end of the Poole Transition Apple Pressing day in the high street back in October, and so brought homemade Cider back to the patch today. Back because most of the apples were Bramleys from our tree at the end of the greenhouse. The cidermaking went well, but because of the mix of apples, it was a bit tart, so mulling seemed the best thing to do with it.

Everyone back to work, and Fizz was shelling runner beans – I never found out whether they were to plant or take home and eat. Jan and Kate were busy pruning the gooseberries and spreading compost as a top dressing.

Jan pruning Gooseberries

And the old compost bins having rotted away (after probably about 10 years use), Gary was overseeing construction of a new set, with Marcos and Ken helping, and Andy getting in the way.

Gary constructing the new compost bins

Mateo helped consume the puddings, but otherwise the kids mostly seemed to be asleep, which was probably good for both them and their parents.

Mark was busy with the pruning, and full of the details of a great trip to Madagascar, marred by Air France loosing their luggage in both directions, and generally making the travelling an awful experience. Looking forwards to a slideshow of the various creatures they saw.

A wet morning, and a shower just after lunch, when the weathermen told us it would be dry, did make for an interesting session building the bonfire this year. A good turnout as dark approached, and various bits of old furniture, mostly wood-wormed and well worn, appeared, heading for the heap. Some was squirrelled away into the compound, to become cornerposts for the next iteration of the compost heap.

Scoffing in the greenhouse

Ken and Mark stoked the flames, and everyone else just gathered – moths to a flame, to enjoy the warmth and convivial chatter. I will get in trouble for forgetting some of the lovely food, but Mark brought along a great sausage casserole, Gary made spicy pumpkin soup, Kate brought dhal, Manuella made pasta salad, and Harriet brought bread.

50 year old stepladder

Jan made a customary crumble, due to a lack of apples, it was mostly with blackberries, and delicious for that. Clare made a delicious pumpkin pie, using one of the Crown Prince squashes from the patch, and Sonya created a wicked chocolate and orange cake, with a whole chocolate orange in the middle and still warm from the oven.

After some years of sterling service, the picnic bench broke as two people sat together on it, so it was ceremonially dumped onto the fire.

Picnic bench hotseat

Mateo especially enjoyed the cake, even more when Bernard had lowered it to the bench so that he could help himself !

Mateo finds the chocolate orange cake

A familiar pattern of work interspersed with chatting, and this week, cuddling the new crop of babies.

Apple and baby crop Sept 2014

Jan’s Sunflowers did well, planted amongst a crop of Outdoor Girl tomatoes.

Sunflowers amongst the Outdoor Girl tomatoes

Resting is a time for discussing plans for next year, or just general chat.

Taking a break

The single peach, cropped in the greenhouse this year. was ceremonially harvested and divided into seven portions for those present at the early August workday ! Apparently it was delicious. Hoping for a few more next year!

Peach Crop 2014

(next to it is a somewhat less attractive tomato !)

Also cropping for the first time,  a Japanese wineberry (Rubus phoenicolasius), a species of raspberry native to northern China, Japan, and Korea. Apparently it is a favourite for forest gardeners.

Japanese Wineberry

And the basil planted by Fizz  has survived OK in the heat of the small polytunnel on site.

Basil in the polytunnel

Harriet unearthed wildlife under plastic in the greenhouse, initially fearing it was a rat.

Beady eye appears

then she saw hedgehog spines, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Kiwi Fruit in flower

Plenty of flowers on the new kiwi fruit plant – will have to see whether we get fruit from it.

A good productive work day on Sunday – plus a bit of drama! We all had to run for the shelter of the greenhouse when a swarm of very angry bees descended on the oak trees by the stream. Plenty of friendly wildlife though.

Bob Salter showing off a newt

Newt found in the compost bin

A visiting toad

The Tatnam patch crowd thick skinned and sturdy, so there we were yesterday, just as usual, enjoying the shortest day, third Saturday of the month, so a normal workday. But, in honour of the Solstice date, original winter feast, and the wet wild and windy weather, we mostly stayed in the greenhouse. Ben made repeated forays out to the storm kettle in search of making tea, and Marcos was busy digging up a small tree, whilst the rest of us mostly just ate and drank.

There was a butternut squash soup from Gary,  which went well with stuffing that Ken had made, and homebaked bread from Andy. A three-meat pasta dish that Mark brought along, mince pies from Marcos and Fizz and as tradition dictates, a crumble from the maestro herself, Jan. I’ve probably forgotten something, oh my homebrew beer and gary’s mulled wine, which included soaking toasted almonds and raisins in the making.

There was a discussion about how the new peach tree in the greenhouse would be corralled into shape, grown indoors to avoid peach leaf curl apparently.

Happy yule to all !