Enta has a number of allotments in Kingsanding where we teach trainees gardening skills.
Our longer term aim is to grow our own organic vegetables and produce for use by our Catering Business and in our Training Centre café.
Jude Quigley, Horticulture Tutor and trainees on Enta's Entry to Employment programme are busy digging, planting, weeding, hoeing, watering and building to create a sensory garden and thriving allotment where wildlife and young people alike can flourish.
There is a Bee Hotel on the allotments thanks to OPAL (Open Air Laboratories) West Midlands, run by researchers from The University of Birmingham. 140 Bee Hotels were installed around Birmingham in early Spring 2009 and are designed to provide species of tube nesting bees with extra nest sites. The pollination service provided by the Honeybee is vital for crop production. Gardeners around the country are being asked to help conserve and increase the abundance and diversity of our wild bee communities and the Bee Hotels play a key role in this. Click here for more information and photos about Honey Bees and the Bee Hotels.
We are grateful for the help and support of local businesses who have donated equipment to our allotments project. Thanks to Selco, Perry Barr, we have a range of new tools and equipment for use by Enta trainees.
Click here to read the Allotments News Update.
Top Ten Tips for new Gardeners
Remember Gardening is Fun! Its healthy and a great way to spend time outdoors, so the most important thing is to Enjoy Your Garden or Allotment!
- Conserve Water – use water butts and add mulch annually.
- Don’t try to do it all at once – little and often is key.
- Dig in early – if possible turn the soil in autumn as winter frosts will break down clods.
- Buy good quality seeds and plants to avoid disappointment.
- Do your research and know when to plant, for the best crops.
- With non storable plants such as lettuce plant little but often.
- Thin out crops to avoid clustering and encourage better quality plants
- Pick crops quickly, early and often and enjoy food while it is fresh.
- Tackle problems promptly, the worst thing you can do is leave a problem.
- Be Green! Compost green material and kitchen waste.
Top Tips courtesy of Birmingham City Council Allotments Section.