Appletree Community Garden

Table of Contents

This activites list was last updated on Monday 11 May.

Plant Care

IN-PROGRESS Weed the strawberry bed and cover with plastic mesh

  • Any comfrey can be cut at the base, chopped up and thrown into compost (don’t weed out)
  • Plastic mesh prevents the birds from eating all the strawberries.

IN-PROGRESS Weed/tidy up herb bed

  • Remove all grasses, creeping buttercup, thistles

IN-PROGRESS Weed/tidy inside chicken coop

TODO Mow around fruit trees at top of garden

TODO Weed around and tend to the rhubarb along the path on the left side

TODO Weed the small space to the left of the shed, in front of the water butt

Once cleared, flowers can be planted here.

TODO Water all newly planted trees

  • Trees are located along the metal fence in the car park, and the metal fence at the very top right of the garden (bordering GreenTracks)
  • Water each tree well at their base

TODO Weed and prepare the two long, narrow ground beds

TODO Weed stepping log bed

  • keep some but hin out poppies
  • remove all grasses

TODO Weed paths around herb bed and compost bays, and place fresh wood chip

TODO Weed pots of all propagated fruit bush pots by the shed

TODO Weed around base of all fruit bushes

TODO Trim hedge behind shed, compost bays, and polytunel

TODO Tidy and weed narrow bed in front of entrance fence in car park

TODO Trim honeysuckle bush and willow either side of path at top left of garden

  • Trim these back carefully to prevent them encroaching into the path

TODO Weed borders between left-side fence and path

TODO Trim trees along rear fence to Greentracks

  • Blackthorn and Hazel trees to be tidied up so they don’t encroach into the garden

TODO Weed bed around plum trees and fruit bushes (left of kitchen)

TODO Trim hedges in carpark and by compost toilet

DONE Mow entire garden

CLOSED: [2026-05-08 Fri 22:10]

DONE Pot up succulents in bucket by hub

CLOSED: [2026-05-05 Tue 19:08]

DONE Weed/prep bed along polytunnel

CLOSED: [2026-05-08 Fri 22:10]

  • thin out toadflax and garlic mustard
  • remove all dock, dandelion, thistle
  • the add dressing of compost

DONE Mow driveway and carpark

CLOSED: [2026-05-08 Fri 22:10]

Sowing & Planting

TODO Plant cosmos at the front of the long ground bed

TODO Sow home-saved amaranth

TODO Plant out sweet peas

  • Make obelisks with bamboo canes (see this example) in log-step area and plant peas at the base of each cane
  • Plant a line along the trellis in the planters in front of the compost toilet

Maintenance & Tidying

TODO Top up wood shavings in the compost toilet

TODO Fix the planter in front of the compost toilet

The base looks to have collapsed under the weight and needs replacing.

  1. Remove compost into a wheelbarrow
  2. Take out the bamboo canes
  3. Remove black plastic to access the broken base
  4. Measure up to fit new base (see supplies of used wood in carpark)

TODO Move circular planter in front of cabin back to its normal location by the trellis of the compost toilet

TODO Litter-pick along the driveway and main entrance

TODO Remove the wooden post from the children’s area

The wooden post for the ’slack line’ is no longer stable and needs to be removed from the ground. When removed, the post can be placed in the wood-store in the carpark, and the hole filled.

TODO Sweep out hub

TODO Tidy up, clean and fix outdoor sink

TODO Tidy shed floor

DONE Move woodchip pile in car park to woodchip storage area

CLOSED: [2026-05-08 Fri 22:11]

DONE Take down red bunting hung at entrance, toilet, along polytunnel, on chicken coop

CLOSED: [2026-05-05 Tue 19:08]

Composting

IN-PROGRESS Remove all comfrey (with root)/from compost bay 3

  • leave comfrey in bucket (don’t compost)

TODO Add fresh compost to ground beds

Garden Projects

TODO Create a memorial garden [0/4]

  • [ ] Construct brick wall and herb spiral
  • [ ] Spread wood chip over the cardboard
  • [ ] Plant a willow arch around the fence posts
  • [ ] Construct a gate for garden

TODO Repaint the shed [0/4]

  • [ ] Clear space all around the shed
  • [ ] Brush down to remove dirt/grime
  • [ ] Add new coat of paint (Cornflower blue) [Check weather forecast that no rain is due.]
  • [ ] Add second coat once 1st coat is completely dry (~1 day)

Author: Matt Gordon

Email: matt.gordon@spectrum-cic.nhs.uk