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Tag Archives: community roots

Nasturtiums, Sunflowers and A Poem

Our excellent and very efficient team at Roots today potted on tray upon tray of courgettes and squash of many different kinds while outside others prepped beds, weeded and planted more of the 8,000 onions – such a busy morning. In one of the poly-tunnels, the nasturtiums are already flourishing.

We have brought back some spare sunflower plants, part of today’s volunteer harvest, to grow here in our garden.

I picked up the poetry book, ‘Being Alive’ edited by Neil Astley to choose one for today and the book fell open at this poem which seemed very apt as I read it through.

I did, in fact ,share this once before in May 2016.  I think it sums up being grateful for what we have each day as tomorrow may well bring something ‘otherwise’. It is certainly one to ponder.

 
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Posted by on April 21, 2026 in Uncategorized

 

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Posy, Blue and Growing Crops

I took a posy to Sue-next-door this morning as today is the anniversary of her dear Bill passing. You can read more about the remarkable Bill Mitchell here.

Here is what Sue posted a couple of days ago,   “On Tuesday it will be nine years since we lost our darling Bill. On his last day, surrounded by love, Mydd was holding his hand and offered to give him a manicure. He asked Bill what colour polish he would like. Bill said ‘Blue, the colour of the underworld’. So now we wear blue nail polish in memory of Bill. (Dear Bob, Bill’s brother, proudly paints a thumbnail, so that when people ask him about it he can tell them about the brother he misses so much).  Please join me on Tuesday by painting one nail or all in blue and post a photo here”.
Hence the blue painted nail in honour of Bill as I take the posy next door.

It is such a pleasure to go into the propagating tunnel at Roots on a Tuesday and to see all the baby plants coming on so well.

Various tomatoes

Cucumbers

Runner Beans

 

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All About Primroses

I love primroses as I think I may have mentioned before, so when I saw a sensory herbalism course featuring the primrose, I knew where. I had to be this morning.

It was a delightful morning, gentle and life affirming to be in the company of like-minded others, to learn about the primrose, to draw, to find words, to really ‘see’ the flowers, leaves, structure and special qualities of the primrose, to discover its healing properties and to drink delicately delicious primrose tea. The sense of calm I left with has lasted all day.

Beautiful plant card artwork by Fiona Owen

Thanks, F, a brilliant morning.

 

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Potatoes, Primroses and Pancakes

There was a bitterly cold wind up at Roots today but the hardiest of the volunteers planted all the potatoes. A less hardy group of us planted tomato, aubergine, pepper, fennel and celery seeds. Others were transplanting the baby onion plants from seed trays into modules.

Amy among the rows of potatoes

There are more beautiful primroses in our front garden.

It’s Shrove Tuesday and this evening we’ve had savoury pancakes stuffed with ham and sweet corn followed by crêpes suzettes with the juice of ruby red blood oranges.

 

 

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Seedlings, Ingenuity and A Mantra

We have hundreds of onion seedlings at Roots and they will be ready for transplanting next week.

Today we transplanted 200+ baby lettuce and pak choi plants and they are now in one of the big  poly tunnels as there is no room in the smaller prop  tunnel where the propagating takes place. The ingenuity comes in the suspended racks to create more room for the baby plants.

We are ten days into February so it’s a bit late to share this month’s mantra from The 2026 Almanac but I like it so here it is:

 

 

 

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Salad Crops, Daffodils and A Jigsaw

In between jobs at Community Roots today, I walked around all the poly tunnels to see what was growing.

I love seeing random daffodils growing on the verges.

We have just finished  one of the jigsaws given to us for Christmas. It was quite a challenge and very satisfying to complete.

 

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Happy Christmas to All My Readers

 

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Eggs, Seedlings and A Posy

Every week we get eggs from friends’ chickens, all carefully dated and seeing the new dozen in the rack always makes us smile, especially when they are such varying sizes.

The winter salad seedlings are being planted out today, all on the grid so that they are equally spaced.

There was an event in the Big Shed at Roots last weekend and this is one of the vases of gathered flowers, seed heads and chard leaves used to decorate the tables.

 

 

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Seedlings, Bulbs and A Poem

There were countless more seedings potted on today at Community Roots by an enthusiastic team of volunteers.

Meanwhile, my lovely Mr S got some tulip bulbs planted in a lovely big pot, some beautiful white ones called White Valley and some very dark ones called Paul Scherer. We need to get some other colours for a different plot, more hope for a pretty Spring..

The following poem by Kim Ridgeon came to me this morning and I absolutely loved it – its subject matter, its rhythm, its humour and its poignancy. I love the ‘book cathedral’ and the way the image is echoed throughout and I love that the ‘unboxing’ is for Kim, and for me and for his many readers, ‘a small consolation in threatening times.’  Thank you, Kim,  for giving me permission to share.
I have just received my new book from the ShelterBox Book Club which is the best of book clubs and gives me some small consolation. 

 

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Cake, Seedlings and Squash

I decorated the cake with lemon icing and we all sang Happy Birthday to our esteemed leader!

Lemon and Chocolate Marble Cake

There were very many seedlings, brassicas and salad leaves,  to pot on today and we had a team of eight volunteers on the job.

The squash harvest is in. Thanks to Amy for the beautiful photos.

 

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