NOTES FROM THE GARDEN – MAY

The garden at Spitalfields City Farm always brings hope and joy in the spring. When days are clear and bright, and new seedlings are popping up all over the place, anything seems possible. As soon as the sun shines our volunteers magically appear in droves. They seem to sense how much we need them and their caring skills – it is great to see them all return.

View across the community garden

There is much to do all year round in the farm garden, but no season is more industrious than springtime. Seed sowing starts on Valentines Day, mid February denoting significantly longer hours of daylight. First to be sown are peppers, aubergines and chillies: all neatly tucked up snug in a heated polytunnel. They have a long growing season ahead and need time, warmth and humidity.

Next come the tomatoes and an early round of lettuce. The tomatoes again need warmth and plenty of time to make strong root systems before they venture outside to their final planting place when the nights warm up. Lettuces are a favourite at the farm, making up our famous salad bags that sell to visitors, restaurants and shops alike. We add all kinds of delicious seasonal rarities to make them special – yesterday, fingerling carrots were the garnish – what delight that must cause around the dinner table!

Spring lettuce in the polytunnel

Broad bean tops – picked out to prevent blackfly, but delicious to eat

Apart from the flurry of seedling production the garden team at the farm have pruning, weeding, compost making and this year, watering to attend to. How dry the spring has been so far – quite a concern. The weather is definitely warming up year on year and we respond by growing crops that would previously not have been possible. In our newly established food forest, we feature a pomegranate tree. Something that feels quite exotic next to cabbages and rhubarb, but will thrive in its sunny spot and be able to cope with low temperatures in the winter.

Winter pruned fig trees with chandelier drops to deter birds

The farm has an old and extensive orchard border

Once a week the garden team walk the various plots and talk about what crops are ready to harvest, which varieties needs to be planted out and list jobs for our larger corporate volunteer groups. Finding jobs for 60 people in one go is quite a task in itself.

Demonstration of how rhubarb is forced under a flowerpot

Early spring cauliflowers were a tasty surprise

At present our broad beans are looking grand, along with outdoor lettuce and in prospect the strawberries should provide a bumper crop.

Come and see us when you are next in the area and spend some time chilling in our urban oasis.

- Tanya Reynolds, Volunteer Gardener