Growing Through the Seasons

From Summer’s Heat to Autumn’s Harvest

As the hottest summer on record gradually recedes into memory, autumn is bringing a new set of joys — and challenges — to the Garden Gate Project.

Our annual leaf-raking marathon is already in full flow, beginning almost a month earlier than usual. After such a prolonged period of heat and drought, the trees have been under considerable stress and are shedding their leaves earlier than we would normally expect.

But the return of the rain has been very welcome indeed.

Angie was particularly cheered to see the parched grass finally beginning to green up again after the recent downpours. The rain has also brought considerable relief from the constant pressure of watering, giving everyone more time and energy to get on with some of the many other jobs that make the garden tick.

With the soil and plants finally getting some much-needed moisture, members have been able to work together on planting, potting on cuttings and preparing plants for the months ahead. We have also been giving some much-needed attention to the benches that have been donated to the project — cleaning, drying and oiling them to help preserve them for many more years of use.

What Has the Weather Taught Us?

Every gardening year teaches us something, and this one has certainly provided plenty of lessons.

One of the biggest, says Angie, is the importance of finding better ways of making the most of the water that nature provides.

“We need really to investigate ways of preserving our spring rain so we can use it for as long as possible.”

It is a lesson that many gardeners will recognise after this summer. Collecting and storing rainwater can make an enormous difference during dry spells, reducing the need to rely on mains water and giving plants a valuable reserve when rainfall is scarce.

The weather has also taught us plenty about which crops thrive — and which struggle — when faced with prolonged heat and drought.

Our runner beans and sugar snaps were a particular disappointment this year. We have had virtually no crop, with the plants going to seed almost immediately. This is a striking change from previous years and another reminder that even crops that have performed reliably in the past can respond very differently to unusual weather conditions.

Our rhubarb has also struggled. After flopping in the spring, it rallied somewhat before suffering again during the summer heat. Rhubarb prefers cool, moist conditions and clearly wasn't impressed by this year's dry heat! We are now planning to split the crowns, which should help rejuvenate the plants and give them a better chance next season.

Planning for Next Year’s Flowers

While we are still enjoying the last of this year's flowers, preparations for next year's cutting service are already well underway.

We've learnt a great deal about the importance of forward planning for our cut flowers, and Rachel is already sowing seeds for next year and making preparations for plants with different soil requirements.

Gardening is very much about thinking ahead: the flowers we enjoy in one season often need to be sown, planted or prepared months beforehand.

Rachel has also been busy collecting and preparing dried flower materials for our wreath-making workshops over the coming months.

And there is another fascinating botanical craft to look forward to — botanical bas-relief casting.

This beautiful technique involves pressing flowers and plants into a bed of clay before pouring liquid plaster over them. Once the plaster has set and the mould is removed, it reveals a detailed, raised impression of the plant material — capturing the delicate shapes and textures of leaves, flowers and stems in lasting form.

It is a wonderful way of bringing the garden into a piece of artwork, and we're looking forward to sharing this craft with members of our community.

If you'd like to take part, keep an eye on our website and sign up online — we'd love to see you there!

Growing, Propagating and Sharing

There is always something being propagated, planted or moved around the Garden Gate.

Our elephant garlic is one of the crops we're particularly keen to increase. We are selecting and saving the best bulbs from this year's crop to plant again in mid-autumn. Saving the strongest planting material is a simple way of gradually building up your own stock from year to year.

Cathy has also been busy transplanting foxgloves that have self-sown around the garden, moving them into some of the shadier areas of the woodland.

Foxgloves are particularly good candidates for this kind of gentle garden intervention. Once they have self-seeded, young plants can often be moved while small, giving you the opportunity to establish new colonies in suitable locations — and making use of plants that nature has provided for free!

The Joy of Doing Things Together

Cathy is always impressed by everything that goes on at the Garden Gate, and recently had the opportunity to help with one of our flower workshops.

For her, one of the most rewarding things about volunteering is seeing the joy these activities bring to people from the wider community.

There was something particularly lovely about seeing mothers and daughters enjoying an activity together, surrounded by nature. Everyone was given the same basic task, but each person approached it differently, with their own interpretation and creativity.

That's one of the things we love about the Garden Gate: there isn't necessarily a right or wrong way of doing things. People bring their own ideas, personalities and abilities, and something individual emerges from a shared experience.

Always Growing, Always Improving

Coming to the garden every week also gives volunteers a unique perspective on how much it changes.

You notice the garden growing and developing, but you also notice the little improvements that happen along the way — those small tweaks that gradually make things better.

The same applies to our events and activities. Feedback from previous occasions helps us improve things from year to year, whether it's the drinks, pizza and salads at Music Day, the way activities are organised, or simply finding ways to make everyone feel more welcome and involved.

A community garden is never really finished. Like the plants themselves, it is always growing, changing and adapting.

A Little More Movement!

Looking after a garden can be surprisingly physical, but in the coming weeks Charley is hoping to get everyone moving a little more with some musical movement sessions set to our favourite songs.

There will also be some fun physical games designed to work on hand-eye coordination, balance and gross motor skills — including activities involving hopping and jumping.

It should be a lot of fun, as well as providing a pleasant and energetic boost as we head further into autumn.

Looking Ahead: Autumn Falling Leaves Open Day

And finally, we're looking forward to welcoming everyone to our Autumn Falling Leaves Open Day on:

Saturday 17th October, 1–4pm

As well as all our usual refreshments, our plant stall will be particularly well stocked.

Look out for Salvia 'Flaming Lips', umbrella plants, wallflowers and indoor succulents, with a special focus on aeoniums, which we've been busy propagating and potting on in preparation for the event.

We also have a fresh batch of Julie’s delicious jams and chutneys in stock, made with produce fresh from the Garden. New additions include Marrow and Ginger Marmalade and Pickled Kohl Rabi, while Piccalilli is back by popular request!

So, whether you're looking for something colourful for the garden, an interesting new houseplant, a jar of something tasty, or simply fancy spending an autumn afternoon with us, we'd love to see you.

The leaves may be falling, but there is still plenty happening at the Garden Gate!

In the meantime, happy gardening!

For information about everything we do at the Garden Gate Project, please visit our website:

www.thegardengateproject.co.uk