Reaping what we’ve sown

June’s fantastic weather, and some more time able to be spent on the plot due to the continuing lockdown restrictions, meant that June was a very rewarding month for the TGV Gardening Club Crew.

With many of the early fruit and veg on the community plot being ready to pick, such as salad, broad beans, spring onions, radish, strawberries and raspberries, we decided to hold a second ‘open plot’ event to coincide with our ‘TGV in Bloom’ quarterly general meeting.

The event was very well attended, with many returning ‘customers’ from our initial event, and the strawberries selling out within minutes of opening! Thanks to our fantastic TGV residents we raised another £102.

Next up was a bit of ‘up-cycling’, using some wooden pallets, spare decking planks and a donated shower screen to build a cold frame, a bench (specially designed to enable social distancing at over 2m in length!), and a coffee table for that well earned cuppa after a mornings work. Thanks to more kind donations, we even managed to finish the seating area off with a cushion and sun shade!

We have also been out and about in the village this month, observing social distancing whilst clearing some of the verges of weeds, litter picking and tending to the now flourishing planters placed out last month. Thanks to all the residents who have kept them looking so good by watering them over the hot spells we had in June. Your efforts are reaping a great display, with the summer bulbs now peeking through the sprawling perennials.

But we didn’t have much time to admire our handy work, with onions to pick and dry off and more top soil and compost arriving to top up our raised beds on the community plot. Luckily we have a great set of volunteers in the form of the ‘GC Crew’, who made swift work of the task in hand – thanks ladies!

And so as June draws to a close and another busy month begins, there was the opportunity to reflect on another great month, with much achieved and more willing volunteers joining our numbers.

July will see us progressing our planning applications for the community greenhouse and the village memorial (to be sited at the bottom end of The Stray, hopefully in time for Armistice Day this year), raising much needed funds for the community plot more wooden planters and the memorial (via crowd funding, kind donations from Preim and their contractors Cut N Clear, and a grant submission via Wiltshire’s Community First), as well as preparing for our 1 year anniversary at the end of August – how time flies!

So if you fancy helping out on the plot or around the village, you will be joining a very welcoming and friendly Crew. No prior experience needed – just the willingness to get stuck in, a love of the outdoors (in all weathers!) and a like for a well deserved slice of cake or cookie at the end of a busy session!

Next Month: We reveal our ‘TGV in Bloom’ logo winner!