Tatnam Organic Patch

Mark, Gary and Andy sat and tested Andy’s old home made wine whilst reviewing the content of the website.

This was a blind tasting as some bottles had never had labels, others had worn away over the years.

The first bottle was mead, definately at least 10 years old. Suprisingly, this was very good. The second bottle was plum. This would make good cooking vinegar (it was not drinkable, though Mark tried). The third bottle, also plum, and also very old and dust covered, was rather good.

We did also look right through the site, and more content is promised. Honestly. When Mark and Gary remember.

Workday Lunch

Aside from the Firepit construction, we had a good turnout for the Third Saturday of the month Workday in August.

Mark cleared the pond. Harriet, Ken and Ruth did sterling weeding and cropping, and whilst Tat, Brendan and Andy worked the firepit, Suzanne was busy clearing space in the wildlife garden. Gary made lots of tea.

In the process, Suzanne uncovered a nearly fully developed Elephant Hawk Moth caterpillar, soon to make a cocoon and pupate

Elephant Hawk Moth Caterpillar

Mark digging out the pond, regularly overgrown

As part of the workday on 15th August 2009, we set up a base to contain the fires we have (either for excess woody waste when dealing with Bramble pruning annually, for the November Bonfire meetings, and perhaps for cooking over an open fire at some of the workdays).

The old pavement risers that we had previously reclaimed and used as the base of the first greenhouse on site now have a new lease of life, as the surrounds to the Firepit.

Garry checking angles on the firepit, well supervised

After approximate measurements, and much digging of memories for far distant geometry  lessons searching for the dimensions of a perfect octagon,  Andy popped home to get the Ancient Egyptian technology, and progress got much faster.

Gary and Brendan Judging Firepit Levels

Firepit nearly complete

The daily Echo have visited the site and published a great article about us today.
http://www.bournemouthecho.co.uk/news/features/4535871.Let___s_all_veg_out/

Don’t be fooled by its rough-around-the-edges appearance because this piece of land, which borders St Mary’s Church in Oakdale, is a haven for wildlife, a hotbed of fresh produce and, quite possibly, a glimpse into the future.