Looking back at 2021 – A year at Lees Park

By Graham Rogers and Team REEL

Over the last year, Team REEL has been working in association with Lees Park Eco Hub, helping to  run groups and assisting with maintaining the site. Two volunteers, Graham and Gareth, helped Alan (Hub lead) every week with the Eco Hub volunteers with whatever jobs needed doing – getting their hands dirty, so to speak. Among many other jobs the team have been re-planting butternut squash and strawberries. They also took seeds from various plants to save ready to start the next year’s crop. Volunteers, Louise and Graham helped re-plant rose bushes in the spring of 2021. This was hard work – but both got a great sense of self-achievement and ‘wow, we did that’ moment when it was finished. It was very rewarding and they can’t wait to see them bloom again this year.

The hub is a safe environment for volunteers to go to, to learn new skills. One volunteer said it has been great for their own mental health and wellbeing, giving them a focus and something to look forward to. We cannot underestimate the importance we think that the site brings to the local community and the contribution to people who will be accessing it. Everyone benefits from these types of opportunities.

Later in 2021, whilst on site harvesting pumpkins, the team came up with the idea that this would be great to involve their own children and family groups that are run by Team REEL. We held Halloween activities on the site, which involved children and their carer’s picking their own pumpkin from the those growing on site, carving the pumpkins, playing party games, singing and dancing and spooky themed stories.

Having the poly tunnel provides a great space for groups to enjoy sessions at the hub. We have been lucky to be able to work with a number of groups over the last year or so, mainly with kids at the heart of it, so they can learn about the outdoors in a safe place. This together with Alan’s knowledge, the activities have gone down very well and we are seeing people coming back again with the promise of spring and better weather. Seeing the kid’s faces when they are enjoying themselves is a very special thing and Lees Park ECO Hub  is definitely one special place that does that.

Thinking ahead… Our plans for 2022, will be to get more groups accessing and enjoying the site. We have plans to be running baby classes, our dad’s group will be helping out to maintain the site and we will be running themed events through out the year, including Easter, Halloween, Christmas, cooking sessions, fitness classes, mindfulness sessions, plus many more. Watch this space…

For more information and to contact Team REEL email info@reelcic.co.uk

Grow Well

Join Grow Well and the RHS in growing Calendula officinalis to share the wellbeing benefits of plants

As part of Grow Well, the RHS are encouraging everyone to sow their calendula seeds during the first week of May.

Everyone is welcome to sign up to Grow Well – you don’t have to be expert gardeners. Schools and youth groups have demonstrated the fantastic benefits of growing, and through Grow Well, hope to help you share the feel good power of calendula.

For more information see: http://www.schoolgardening.rhs.org.uk/Competitions/Grow-Well

Volunteer help needed at Fullwood Community Garden

Fullwood community garden and nature reserve are seeking volunteers to help on Thursday mornings 10am – 12pm.

The team are in need of help over the next few months with a range of manual tasks particularly strimming the paths, preparing raised beds for planting, clearing brambles and mulching fruit trees among other gardening duties. Since the pandemic, the team has dwindled and are currently a small group of volunteers, who would greatly appreciate extra help and gardening company.

Fullwood Community Garden was established in 2013 as a space within the Nature Reserve for the community of all ages to learn about growing vegetables and to showcase locally grown produce at the community centre as part of a range of local activities for local people. This year, in 2022, having paused during the pandemic, the project hopes to attract new volunteers, grow more vegetables, link with more groups and greater support the community on Sholver.

The team will always provide tea, coffee and cake for motivation! and in return volunteers will meet local people, make new friends, share conversations and can also work on their own raised beds and grow their own produce if interested.

If you can spare an hour or two weekly or monthly, please contact Joyce Ward on joyce5729.jw@gmail.com or message via facebook page – Sholver Rangers and Fullwood Community Garden

Seed Swap Event at Lees Park ECO Hub

Thinking about growing food this year?

Why not come along to this event and pick up some seed.

Packets often have more than we need so bring along and swap any surplus you have or wont get to grow. However, seed donations are not necessary.

Get tips on growing something a bit different

Join Alan Price for a tour of Lees Park Eco Hub and find out what is planned for the coming year.

Community growing groups, families, individuals – all welcome

February top tip Number 1 to kickstart your growing season

1. Reuse your plastic labels

When sowing seeds gets underway it’s really important to label everything, especially when growing different varieties of the same crop. 
At The Hub, Alexandra Park the volunteers separate the labels, keeping those with varieties that can be used again, the rest are cleaned to reuse. To ensure labels are clear we use a permanent marker and here’s how to clean these stubborn labels.

1. Fill a shallow tray with water
2. Cut up the paper into small pieces (approx 3 cm x 5 cm)
3. Put on some gloves
4. Rub off any marker or dirt from the labels under the water with the wet dry sandpaper. 

‘Wet Dry Sandpaper’ can be bought at DIY / hardware stores.

Great efforts engaging local people in food growing 2021

By Sholver and Moorside Community Team

In August 2021 Sholver and Moorside Community Team held our 5th annual Flower and Vegetable Show.

The event welcomed growers and residents of all ages, allotment holders, representatives from community gardens, councillors and businesses (who sponsored the show).

A member of Oldham Floral Society also gave flower arranging demonstrations and Get Up and Grow were on hand to give horticultural craft demonstrations.

In total the show attracted 396 entries  – the highest ever – across fruit, vegetable, flower, craft, home produce and junior classes.

We were lucky to attract a large number of local visitors who purchased the fruit, vegetables etc at knock down prices during an auction held at the end of the show.
Any leftover fruit and vegetables was donated to the community fridge at the centre which is a free accessible service to all locals.

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To find out more about the annual flower show and food growing with Sholver and Moorside Community Team contact Joyce Ward, email joyce5729.jw@gmail.com

Still early for sowing in Oldham, but here’s a few tips to get ready…

It’s time to think about what to grow and plan your seed sowing.

In Oldham February is still a little too early to sow most vegetable seed.

The average last frost is the second week in May. Being too eager and starting too early – on warm windowsill, propagator or in greenhouse / polytunnel will result in seedlings that become leggy soft plants.

Don’t be tempted to plant them out too early and risk plants getting frosted and wasted or when the time is right to plant them out they will be weak – not the strong and healthy plants of those sown later.

Top tip for getting ready for seed sowing: you don’t need to buy pots for seed sowing. Reuse old ones or make your own paper pots. Paper pots are great as they are biodegrade and use recycled materials you are likely to have at home.

Options are:

1. To make newspaper origami pots. There are lots of instructions available online. These can be made up in advance (on cold, wet winter days). Store folded flat ready to use when seed sowing gets busy in March. It’s a great way to feel productive and getting ready for the growing season ahead.

2. Make cardboard tube pots – see the following instructions

Rather than put your unused toilet, kitchen or wrapping rolls in the recycling bin why not turn them into seedling pots?

If you’re using a toilet paper roll cut the roll in half. For anything longer like kitchen rolls cut about 5cm off.

With the small roll you cut four slits about 2cm.

You then be able to fold the bottom of the roll like this.

Make sure to have them interlocking so there’s no need for tape. You do this by folding each flap under another and over the next.

They should look like this at the end.

Your mini seedling pots are ready for seed sowing.

It helps to place a number together in a tray (such as an empty washed margarine or takeaway tub).

When your seedlings are ready for potting on to a larger pot or planting out, the cardboard pot can be planted so the delicate roots are not disturbed.

Have fun getting ready this winter.

It’s time to get up close and personal with your compost

It’s great to get out in the garden on beautiful crisp winter days. If you need to keep warm, now is a great time to turn your compost if you haven’t done so for a while.

Making your own compost is valuable to all gardens – improving the health of the soil (it gives out organic nutrients), minimises the growth of weeds, reduces erosion of the soil beneath from rain damage and locks in carbon. All while costing very little. 

Hannah at Get Oldham Growing, said: “Composting is like making a cake – you need the right ingredients and to give it a good mix.”

Meaning you need to give it all a ‘turn’ which will regulate the moisture for all the micro-organisms to do ‘their thing’ and achieve a healthy decomposition.

The key to the right ingredients is even layering and mixing of ‘brown (woody) and green (leafy)’ compost materials to help generate heat. This results in the right nutrients and a good texture.

For more information about composting visit:

www.rhs.org.uk/soil-composts-mulches/composting

www.gardenorganic.org.uk/compost-hints-tips

Mason and Harry’s season 2021

Dear Get Oldham Growing,

We are Mason and Harry and we live on Fitton Hill with our mum Jess.

We first started growing things in pots in our tiny concrete yard. With not much sunlight it wasn’t always successful – but then we moved to Fitton Hill.
We were excited about all the space and sunlight in our garden. Mum likes to grow flowers which we think is pretty boring except for when the bees are collecting pollen. We like to sit quietly and take photos of them.
We like to grow veggies and in 2021 we grew carrots, leeks, onion, parsnip and others.

My (Mason) fave veg is cucumber so I was in charge of them.
Harry loves tomatoes and he became very interested in seeing them ripen, he tried an unripe tomato but that was yukky!
We grew peas too and mum said we’re cheeky because we kept eating them from the plant so she had none to harvest. We were not patient enough to wait for carrots either, we thought they were yummier smaller. We took them to the “old people hotel” where our grandma works and it made us happy that they got to taste our bright red fresh tomatoes.
The yummiest thing we grew were blueberries and mum made blueberry pancakes and muffins. We made flower crowns and planted our own veg patches in recycled boxes and a dog bed.

Our neighbours joined in too. George and Anna enjoyed getting messy!
We can’t wait for spring time so we can go outside and dig!

Mason (9) and Harry (6)

Saddleworth Incredible Edible 2021 review

By Sheila Thorp

After a busy and positive first season, we have had time to take stock during these last few weeks, and also to begin planning for next year.

Despite the inevitable slow start due to Covid, the Parish yard in Uppermill has proved to be a good growing area as well as having the beginnings of a community hub. One of the delights has been our growing links with members of the Parish and a range of groups which use the centre. It has been good to share the monthly coffee morning during these cold months – inside and out!

Elsewhere, St Mary’s Church have agreed to provide an area to start a Greenfield IES.

There are a growing number of planters by the canal, thanks to ICAN and we have taken over some containers in the grounds of Saddleworth Cemetery.

In addition, a productive meeting with Oldham Council environmental staff and councillors for Saddleworth has resulted in IES taking over part of the Nature Garden behind the Brownhill centre. Further work on this will begin in the early spring when a large, cleared bed will be made available.

All this new work means that we are creating a range of sites around Saddleworth (and so becoming more visible and accessible) and small teams of us will need to concentrate on different ones. Happily, we are slowly but steadily acquiring growing interest and new volunteers. We hope for even more in 2022.

We are also developing links with residents of ages, and hope next year to begin organising small activities which will encourage families and local schools to get involved, making use of a range of vegetables, herbs and fruit.

Our wider links continue, initially with the experienced team in Todmorden, and more locally with VIP at Waterhead and of course, with Get Oldham Growing.

For more information regarding Incredible Edibles Saddleworth contact incredibleediblesaddleworth@gmail.com