CHENIES STREET CHAMBERS
COMMUNAL GARDEN
ESTABLISHED03.06.2002
Meetings:
WINTER: every first Sunday of the month at 2 p.m.
SUMMER:
every Sunday of the month at 2 p.m.
these meetings are combined with TRA meetings
in January, April, July, and August
A
WEED: DEFINITION
Any
plant obstructing the path, which might cause people to slip.
Any
plant which will cause damage to another plant
(example: bindweed is a weed, wherever it grows,
because it chokes other plants)
Any
plant which is in the wrong place
at the wrong time
(example: volunteer potatoes in the strawberry bed).
CHENIES
STREET CHAMBERS COMMUNAL GARDEN
RECOMMENDED PLANTS FOR LOW
OR
NO MAINTENANCE
EDIBLE FRUIT TREES AND SHRUBS:
Bay (Laurus noblis) tree or shrub
-- sun or partial shade
Cape
Gooseberry (physalis
peruvianah) -- shrub, sun
-red or pink flowers,
small crab-apple-like fruit that makes delicious jam
Cherry sweet cherry
tree, sun
Cherry Morello Cherry (cooking cherry) tree, partial
shade or shade
Cornelian Cherry
(Cornus mas),
partial shade, edible fruit perennial [2006]
Elder
(for the elderflowers
and elderberries) partial shade
Grapes sun, needs
watering to establish, climbing
Lavender
(Lavandula officinalis)
shrub -- sun, poor soil, dont water
Mulberry
- black mulberry (morus
nigra) partial shade
or sun
Olive Europea (olive tree)
full sun
Rose (Rosa) Golden
Showers
Compassion- sun or partial shade, climbing
Rosemary
-common (Rosmarinus officinalis) shrub
Also Recommended:
Miss Jessops Upright -- plant with Lavender; sun, poor
soil, dont water
EDIBLE HERBS:
Basil (Ocimum) planted yearly sun, needs
watering
Cress- easily grown from seed , plant every year
Chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile)
Chives (Allium schoenoprasm)
Coriander (Coriandrum sativum -)sun or partial
shade
easily grown from seed, do not transplant
Cumin (Cuminum cyminum)
Fennel (Foeniculum vulgare) perennial
Garlic (Allium
sativum) -- plant with Roses sun or partial shake
south-facing
Mint (Mentha) perennial, partial shade
Nasturtium (Tropaeolum majus) sun or partial
shade.
Buy seeds for 6
trailing or climbing (grows larger)
Parsley (Petroselinum crispum) biennial (Leave
to flower and seed the second year
and you will have your
own seed suited to your own garden.)
Pansies, Violas sun or shade, perennial
Poppy spread organic seed in spring throughout
garden
Pumpkin wonderful vine (start indoors,
early)
Rocket (Eruca versicaria) perennial
Sage (Salvia officinalis) sun, perennial
Scented Geraniums (Pelargonium)- partial shade
or shade
Tarragon (Artemisia dracunculus)
Thyme (Thymus vulgaris)
Wild Garlic (ramson) perennial (plant among the
roses)
Clematis
texensis 'Gravetye Beauty' (red
summer flowers)
Clematis montanus 'Rubens' (pink spring flowers)
Jasmine (Jasminum Polyanthum) evergreen, partial
shade (scented but non-edible)
Virginia Creeper dies back in winter,
comes again in spring, shade or partial shade
Honeysuckle lonicera henryi evergreen perennial,
partial shade or sun
Buddleia (easily rooted)
Scented
geranium (edible flowers; the
leaves flavour sugar and jams)
Comfrey
(herb)
False Castor Oil Plant (fatsia japonica) (WARNING:
poisonous) - large, architectual
Ferns
Fuschia
Jade plant
Money plant
Spider Plant
FAST GROWING SHRUBS AND
TREES
Buddleia, Elder, Willow, euonymous, piras, forsythia
QUICK BORDERS: geraniums, lobelia, impatiens (busy
lizzies) crocosmia (bulbs,
perrenials, 2 feet tall leaves like daffodils, orange spike flower in summer)
SPRING: daffodil bulbs planted
in autumn or spring (discard any rotten or wizened bulbs), spread organic
seed poppies, nastertiums, cress
INSIDE OR OUTSIDE WINDOW
BOXES:
Geraniums, Spider plants.
LARGE PLANTS FOR THE MAIN ENTRANCE:
Kentia
Palm, Jade Plant, Swiss Cheese Plant
ESSENTIALS: a sign telling
people your garden is organic, large birdbaths, birdfeeders, water barrel
for rain water. You must put mulch on your plants in Autumn and Spring, to
provide feed. If you water, dont water the lavender or the rosemary,
and dont water in full sunlight (you will burn the plant leaves). Wherever
possible put a water-retaining mulch around plants.
DESIRABLES:
Compost
Bin (shade or partial shade), Wormery (in partial
shade), Water Garden
(partial shade, not under a tree to avoid leaves falling into it)
if you have a water garden, grow Canadian Weed (ask at any Aquarium
Shop) which will oxygenate the water and provide feed for goldfish, etc.
If you have any problems with algae or green slimy weed, put in barley straw
or a barley straw essence, to
clear the water without killing your fish, frogs, newts or other plants).
Goldfish overwinter.
GARDENING TIPS
Dont water
in full sun.
Dont water
the rosemary, lavender, buddleia, or the shady parts of the Garden.
MULCH your plants
with compost (Spread compost around the plants) at least twice a year - spring
and autumn. When you mulch, go round with a Garden Expert, and ask their
advice.
Also, where necessary,
put either water-retaining compost, or gravel or straw around plants, to
help preserve moisture ( where noisture is needed).
A simple solution
of washing up liquid with water kills most greenfly, aphids, etc.
We are an organic
garden, and pesticides are banned. If you think something is a weed, pull
it up. If it grows back, pull it up again. Its better than putting
poison into the water table.
Dont put
shade-loving plants in the sun (ferns, comfrey)
Dont put
sun-loving plants (rosemary, lavender, roses. most herbs) in the shade. If
two plants of the same species die in the same place youre put them,
you have put them in the wrong place. Dont put the olive tree under
the sycamore tree. If you kill three, the fourth isnt going to grow
either.
Take pictures of
the garden, and date them and keep a list of what plants are in the garden
(if the tags fall off, replace them).
ANNUAL: plants (usually
flowers) that grow and die with the first frost. (lobelia, poppies)
PERENNIAL
plants that grow and come back every year (campanula)
DECIDUOUS: trees
and shrubs that drop their leaves in winter, and have new leaves in spring
(the campanula dies back, the rowan trees, elder
trees, gooseberry bushes and
the Montana Clematis drop their leaves)
EVERGREEN (CONIFEROUS):
trees and shrubs that stay evergreen all year round (our Christmas tree,
our jasmine, ivy, the Armandii Clematis and the HENRI Honeysuckle)
CONSIDER: DO THEY
NEED LIGHT /SHADE/ WHAT TYPE OF SOIL/ HOW MUCH WATERING/ EVERGREEN OR NOT/
SCENTED OR NOT/ EDIBLE/ POISONOUS when considering plants. We favour edible
plants where possible, scented flowers, evergreen where possible, and
low-maintenance plants (no need of excessive watering). Please do not add
poisonous plants to the garden, unless you know they are not easily within
the reach of children. Not all plants need compost roses need rich
soil, but rosemary and lavender
need poor soil to grow.
DEADLY POISONOUS PLANTS:
False Castor Oil
Plant, yew, lily-of-the-valley
WATER BUTT:
Please
fill the water butt, and use it to conserve water resources.
WATER
GARDEN: Children are not allowed to play
in the water garden.The water garden takes care of itself. As well as other
aquatic life, it has goldfish, newts, and frogs (and their tadpoles in the
spring). It is an essential part of the eco-system of the garden, as well
as providing a souce of water for birds. The green Canadian
weed provides oxygen and food for
the fish, etc.In cases of blue
green algae or slimy green stringy stuff,barley straw in the water, or some
barley straw extract will clear it, without harming the fish.
WORMERY: The wormery is very simple.
You put food in the top, and
compost is created at the bottom level by the worms. Remember to turn on
the tap and drain the liquid out of the wormery every couple of months (or
the poor worms will be swimming in it). Use this
liquid to fertilize your most
precious plants. When you take the compost out of the bottom layer, just
give it a wash (saving the water for the plants) and put it back on top,
to begin the process again. ALWAYS KEEP THE WORMERIES IN THE SHADE (or you
will fry your worms). NO MEAT, NO CITRUS, NO LARGE HARD FRUIT PITS. SOURCE
OF THE WORMS: Wiggly-Wigglers
COMPOST BIN:
The compost bin is even simpler than the wormery, you put your scraps in
at the top, and take the compost out from the bottom. The compost bin must
be kept in the shade, and the lid must be kept on to prevent flies from annoying
the neighbours. No meat products and no citrus fruits also no woody
stems unless they are chopped up fine, no noxious weeds,
which spread in the compost).
EASY FERTILISING:
Banana
skins and egg shells are a very good fertilizer, which dont
burn the plants, so if you have any, put them around the plants.
Bananas provide potassium, egg shells give calcium to the soil. Roses like
tea-leaves, as well.
COMPANION
PLANTING:
We have planted garlic and wild garlic with roses and marigolds also help
to keep various nasty things away.
PROPOGATING PLANTS AND GROWING FROM
SEED. Its very easy to propogate plants. Buddleia.
Virginia Creeper, Geraniums, Honeysuckle and Fushia can be very easily grown
from cuttings, Ivy, Honeysuckle and Jasmine can be rooted in the soil by
laying a strand down, still attached to the parent plant, and covering with
soil in the winter (the various nodules will have formed roots by spring.
Strawberries sent out runners that root themselves. HERBS: Coriander,
Flat-Leaf Parsley, Rocket and Gardeners Delight Cherry Tomatoes grow
easily from seed.
RUBBISH CHUTE BALCONY FLOWERS:
Although we have a self-watering system, it
doesnt work very well. If youre not getting any water, it means
that the little nozzle or the plastic pipe is blocked. Also note where the
natural rain falls on your balcony, and put plants where they can also be
watered by rain (this is usually the south-west corner of the balcony). The
self-watering system is located down in the garden, on the right-hand side
wall, as you go out to the garden. Youll need a ladder to get to it.
The system is on a timer, so if youre getting too much or too little
water, just adjust the timer (and make sure the system waters at dusk
if it waters in full sunlight, it will burn the plants. NOTE:If there is
a hose pipe ban, you must turn off the self-watering system and water by
hand. it is illegal not to do so.
NOISE NUISANCE
PLEASE NOTE: the hard surfaces act as an echo chamber, so that quiet
conversations in the garden can be heard three floors up (this is why we
are trying to grow climbing plants up the walls, and shrubs in the garden).
Please try to be quiet and do not use the garden before 8 a.m. or after 9:30
p.m.
COMMUNAL BARBEQUE: No children or animals are allowed near the barbeque.
No public events. The person using the barbeque is responsible for cleaning
the area and barbeque when whey are done. No barbequing after 9 p.m. and
try to leave the area by that time as well, so you dont annoy the
neighbours.
COMMUNAL BARBEQUE
Always use your barbeque bricks in the barbeque,
and make sure the barbeque is on a firm suface and doesnt wobble.
Use self-lighting briquets or fire-lighters to
light your barbeque bricks.
Depending on the conditions, it can take up to
twenty minutes for the open flames to die down. Wait until the coals have
a dusty coating of ash, and when you just have glowing coals, not open flame,
its time to put your food on to barbeque.
Never barbeque indoors or in confined spaces.
Never try to move the barbeque when it is hot.
When you have finished barbeque, extinguish the
coals with water.
Always keep children
and pets away from the barbeque and barbeque area.
Remember to clean the area and the barbeque when
you have finished (make sure it is cold before you put it in the rubbish
or the compost bin).
DO NOT USE THE BARBEQUE AFTER 9 p.m. OR BEFORE
8 a.m. This barbeque is only used for private barbeques, not public events.
EASY RECIPES TO BRING TO GARDEN MEETINGS
SAUSAGES ON ROSEMARY SKEWERS
Stick your sausages on rosemary sticks, and the rosemary flavour will cook
through the sausage.
STEAK
For meduim rare steak, oil your steak before
you put it on the barbeque and then cook five to six minutes on each side.
Add butter and herbs
to your salmon, and wrap the salmon in tinfoil, then barbeque.
Cut each potato into four pieces, add butter and press the pieces back together.
Wrap in tinfoil, and then wrap in tinfoil again. Put them down on your coals,
and leave for an hour to cook. Serve with chopped chives and sour cream.
CANADIAN POTATO SALAD
6 boiled potatoes (Desiree or King Edward)
6 eggs
2 mild onion (or red onion)
1 bunch of
radishes (to taste)
salad cream (juice of l lemon added to salad
cream)
salt and pepper
Boil potatoes. Boil eggs. Let both cool. Cut
onions, potatoes and eggs into bite-size chinks ( not too large or you
cant eat it with a fork; not too small or youll lose the textures
of the ingredients). Cut radishes into rings - four to a radish - and then
cut rings in half to make eight pieces. Add salad cream and salt and pepper
to taste. Chill.
2 tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 mild onion
½ LB feta cheese
black Greek olives
2 TB olive oil
juice of
½ lemon
1 tsp. oregano
salt & pepper to taste
Whisk olive oil with oregano and lemon juice.
Season with salt and pepper. Add roughly chopped vegetables. Break feta cheese
into bite-size chunks. Mix well. Chill.
½ cucumber, grated
1 garlic clove, chopped
2 Tablespoons vinegar
4 oz yoghurt
salt and pepper
Grate cucumber, pour off juice. Cover grated
cucumber with vinegar for half an hour, and then pour off vinegar. Add yoghurt
and garlic to cucumber. Chill.
TANDOORI CHICKEN
(prepare the day before to marinade meat)
2 lb. of chicken, or 1 whole chicken, jointed & skinned
(2 drumsticks, 2 wings, 2 thighs, 2 breasts)
1 lemon
STEP 1. Remove skin, but leave the chicken on the bone. Slash each piece of chicken 3 times, to allow marinade to enter into flesh. Sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt, add juice of ½ lemon and marinate for 20 minutes.
STEP 2. Prepare spices for YOGHURT MARINADE. Mix together, and roughly grind (either in a coffee grinder, or with back of spoon) and lightly roast in a dry, hot frying pan (for ten seconds, do not burn):
I½ tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. cumin seeds
1 tsp. coriander seeds
1 pinch dried cinnamon or nutmeg
6 cardamom pods
½ tsp. ground turmeric
1 tsp. salt
STEP 3. ADD THESE SPICES TO:
200 ml yoghurt
1 fresh red chilli, coarsely chopped
1 clove of garlic, finely chopped
1 tsp. ginger, finely chopped (or pickled Japanese ginger)
STEP 4. Add chicken. Cover and refrigerate 24 hours.
STEP 5. THE NEXT DAY.
IMPORTANT: to cook - take out
of fridge one hour before cooking.
BARBEQUE for 10 - 15 minutes or oven
roast
475ºF
/ (Gas 9) for 20 minutes.
Chocolate
Pots
serves 8
a pint of organic single cream
400g (4 organic chocolate bars)
(recommended: Green & Black chocolate 70% cocoa solids)
4 organic egg yolks
(Burford Brown eggs are lovely)
2 Tablespoons brandy or rum (optional) (or grated
orange zest)
(Mount Gay Eclipse Rum is very nice)
2 Tablespoons sugar (optional and unnecessary)
40 grams (1 and1/2 oz) organic butter,
slightly salted
Heat the cream and set aside for one minute.
Smash chocolate into bits and stir into cream
until melted.
Beat in your egg yolks and brandy and stir until
smooth.
Allow to cool slightly
Stir in butter. utter until smooth.
Pour into individual serving pots.
ps. sometimes if you add the butter when the
chocolate isn't cool enough it will ake the vhocolate look as if it has split.
Allow the mixture to cool a little longer before whisking in a little cold
milk until you have a smooth consistency again.
BBQ RIBS
Marinate the ribs the morning of the barbeque
in olive
other suggestions
(applications for grants, planning, problems
etc.)