A shower of gratitude from me to you.
Dear valued Lend and Tend subscribers.
Firstly, I hope you and your families are well and keeping safe. Truly I do.
I don’t know where to start? It’s a very *choose a word to describe it all* time, but there are some things I can feel positive about and I hope it helps you feel better, too: We’ve still a way to go, but we’re apparently ‘past the peak’ and today, it’s May Day! Pleasantly, the midpoint between the beginning of spring and the start of summer. So it seems a good day to celebrate, albeit in a very small way and wish you all a Happy (May) Day.
I hope that from your windows or on your walks, you’re gifted with beautiful sights from Flora, the goddess of spring and flowers as nature bursts magically back to life.
It's been a day of sun and showers for some, but the merry month of May can be still be welcomed, whatever the weather, by decorating your home with flowers. Either picked from hedgerows or if you can’t get out and you’re up for being artful, you could try getting crafty in your spare time. Have a look at Lia Griffith’s inspirational paper creations
May Day can also be celebrated by enjoying a meal made from home grown produce. It might be a bit early for most of you to be making pies from the fruits of your labours yet, but lots of garden Tenders have shown me windowsill seedlings popping up through the soil, whilst waiting patiently for a Patch-Match.
If you are currently lucky enough to be sharing a garden, why not place some spring blooms on your Lender’s doorstep to bring festivity to their home? Or if you’re still waiting for a garden Patch-Match yourself, start planning your veggie patch for the longer light-filled days of the coming months. Charles Dowding has some great advice on how to get started on the No-Dig method, perfect for any garden including urban environments.
I want to thank you for your continued support during this time. I don’t know whether it’s the amazing weather we’ve had or the quietness and the slower pace of life, but sign ups have been coming in daily, despite the restrictions.
I hope you all have access to the services you need and enough to keep your imaginations and mouths fed too. The last 6 weeks or so have highlighted how fragile our food chains are, how lonely our nearest neighbour might be and while our regular ‘old normal’ lives are interrupted, we’re closer to ‘this’ being history and we’ll be able to see each other soon.
If you aren’t able to go outside, I hope the birds sing into your windows and even better still, you notice an absence of noise from the roads and air.
In my last blog, I shared how we could still continue to Keep Calm and Garden-Share safely, but then we got locked down not 2 days later.
I’d be interested to know, if you have signed-up recently, were you inspired to learn (to the relief of allotment plot holders) that gardening in allotments is considered exercise; and an allowable way to get out of the house? Was it the surge of seed companies selling out? Or are hoping to support your family from suffering food shortages and need to grow a personal veg supply? It would be great to hear from you!
It’s obvious, some people are riskily flouting the rules to hang out in parks and open spaces, but the pull to be outside is great. We’re naturally drawn to being outside and in the open air, but we have to be patient and we have to do it properly. What ever your reason was for signing up when you did, thank you for joining in with me on my garden-sharing mission. When this is all over we’re going to get out there and give it some welly.
Want to rescue plants?
If you’re in the south of England, check out Plant savers - who save plants from British garden centres and nurseries hit by COVID-19, will deliver plants direct to your door!
For you garden owners who aren’t able to, or can’t garden, I empathise with how disheartening it must be to see your garden space go unused. So many of you, once avid gardeners have told me how you despair at no longer being able to give your garden the love and time you once were able to. I really want to help each and every one of you; Lenders and Tenders find a Patch-Match, for you to either find some help for you and your garden and put it to good use for growing food, or simply to help you share a garden to make a connection in your community.
Either way, to get you all Patch-Matched, I need your help.
When I started Lend and Tend, I was able to run simple operations with donations from Lend and Tend users, but due to COVID-19 I understand that many people can no longer donate. That’s absolutely ok.
If you know someone that wants to join but can’t donate, please encourage them to. I’m still here for you and new members, but there is a way you can help me and the Lend and Tend community, for FREE.
Despite not having the budget for snazzy advertising or marketing campaigns. You can talk about garden-sharing for NOTHING.
I occasionally get the opportunity to talk to local radio shows or local blogs and magazines about Lend and Tend, (if you work in radio or publishing, please put a word in) but what I need most of all, is for you to talk about it. Tell people that you’re open to Garden-Sharing and you’re looking for a Patch-Match. Then, tell them to tell someone else, too.
When you look at the map there are a lot of green pins showing where willing garden-tenders are located and lilac pins showing where gardens are located, but to really get this going really blooming successfully we need to completely cover the U.K in green and purple pins. More-so in cites.
Although we have to stay at home, I can still line up potential people for you all to garden-share with when restrictions are lifted. So, any mentions on social media; Facebook, Twitter or Instagram would be great.
Tell your neighbours - albeit at a distance, that you’ve signed up to garden-share. Here’s a great suggestion if the garden fence is getting in the way of conversation.
Another great place to notify your neighbourhood you want to Garden-Share is nextdoor.com. It’s also a great place to find second-hand tools, garden equipment, seeds or plant cuttings. I recently gave away a rhubarb plant on Nextdoor.com and also found a lovely plant stand listed, for nothing!
The local groups are definitely worth joining, too, to keep you updated of where to find support in your community for lots of other helpful advice or information on interests.
It’s fantastic, they also run a ‘Good Neighbour’ award. I’m sure there’ll be plenty of people worth nominating this year. From last year, this is rather inspiring:
A mention about Lend and Tend in email or a WhatsApp group chat mention would be great, but even better would be a mention over a good old fashioned phone-call.
Let’s #GetBritainTalking - Tell someone you’ve signed up to garden-share. Hopefully we’ll spread the word far and wide.
Recent events have been stressful, worrying and of course the main thing is your and your loved ones health right now, so please, please stay safe and when we’re back to somewhere between our ‘old’ and ‘new normal’ I hope to get you garden-sharing.
What are your garden goals? Now’s the time to dream…
For now, whilst it’s peaceful, let’s dream of gardens we can escape in (even if they’re someone else’s); either by admiring a neighbours’ garden spring blooms, or why not, whilst you’ve time: have a full-on French formal garden fantasy.
Again, thank you, thank you, thank you to all of you that have signed up to Lend and Tend and a special thank you to you if you work in our service and caring industries. Until the next update, I appreciate you.
My best wishes,
Joyce