Angela, who runs Sunday Buzz Community Garden sessions, has written this blog about July in the garden. Join her every Sunday 1pm – 3pm.
July at Buzz
If June was about nurturing, July was definitely about harvesting.
I’m still amazed by what the garden has produced this year. It feels like we’re really starting to see the rewards of all the watering, weeding and waiting.
This month’s harvest included:
- 12kg of second early potatoes
- 2kg of greengages (although quite a few never made it to the scales!)
- 600g of shallots
- 650g of blackberries (with plenty enjoyed straight from the bush!)
We also planted out tomatoes, which seem to be loving the warm weather, and direct sowed more leafy greens ready for autumn.
One interesting thing we noticed was that a few of the greengages had little black marks inside. After a bit of research, they were most likely caused by plum fruit moth. It’s one of the realities of growing food organically, sometimes we share our harvest with wildlife too. Most of the fruit was absolutely delicious, but it’s always worth giving homegrown fruit a quick check before eating.
One of my favourite things about the garden this summer has been the butterflies. I’d love to think the wildflower meadows around Lockleaze, along with gardens like Buzz, are helping create more space for nature. Has anyone else noticed the same thing? If so, you can share add them to the Lockleaze butterfly Survey here!
As Buzz continues to grow, we’re making a few changes too. From August we’ll be running Sunday sessions only (1–3pm). A huge thank you to Hannah for everything she’s contributed to the garden. We’ll continue sharing session dates and updates on the Love Lockleaze Facebook page.
We’re also starting to prepare for the Get Growing Trail in September, and we’re really looking forward to welcoming visitors into the garden. There are still plenty of jobs to do before then, so if you’ve been thinking about getting involved, now is the perfect time to join us.
Finally, thank you to everyone who has supported Buzz recently. We were delighted to receive a donated hedgehog house. As a community garden with limited funding, every donation helps us grow and makes our community stronger.
This month’s community wish list:
- Strawberry runners
- Spare herbs or perennial plants
- Fruit and vegetable scraps for our community compost
- Water Butts
Whether you’ve volunteered, donated, or simply followed our journey online, thank you for being part of Buzz. Every hour, every plant and every conversation helps the garden grow.
We hope to see you in the garden soon!
