Our next meeting is 7.30pm 14 January. We give a warm welcome to new people who come along. If you would like to come, please email us on tauntontransition5@gmail.com so that we can send you information nearer the time.
Taunton Transition Town next meeting
Somerset Square community garden update
Taunton Transition Town(TTT) has been really pleased to have maintained the gardens over a number of years. The gardens have attracted a lot of interest and positive comment, as well as a supply of local food (albeit on a small scale).
A number of events have occurred over the 2017/18 which means that TTT is no longer managing the gardens. The site has been taken over by Brian Heath and a new group of volunteers.
Growing Taunton – 5th August
We will be out and about again Saturday in Somerset Square to finish off the terracing of the slope.
Location: Somerset Sq – between the Brewhouse Theatre and the Cricket Ground
When: Sat 5th August – 10.30 – 12.30
Oca just poking through
Taunton Transition Town have been running this site at Somerset Square for some years now; replacing the municipal plants with something we can eat or which is beneficial to insects. Find the vegetables, herbs and other plants growing in the planters between the Brewhouse Theatre and the Cricket Ground in Taunton.
What is ready now?
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Lovage – great herb with a strong celery taste – use sparingly
- Oca Leaves – the leaves have a citrusy taste and great addition to salad
- Courgettes
Come along and hear all about the community garden and what is ready now.
We need your help to weed, plant and haul water! We have big plans for Somerset Square and need your help. Bring you garden forks, trowels and gloves for some extra special TLC to this wonderful display. This time we hoping to transform the slope into a wonderful terrace of incredible edibles.
Growing Taunton – Sat 1st July
We will be out and about again Saturday in Somerset Square to finish off the terracing of the slope.
Location: Somerset Sq – between the Brewhouse Theatre and the Cricket Ground
When: Sat 20th May – 10.30 – 12.30
Oca just poking through
Taunton Transition Town have been running this site at Somerset Square for some years now; replacing the municipal plants with something we can eat or which is beneficial to insects. Find the vegetables, herbs and other plants growing in the planters between the Brewhouse Theatre and the Cricket Ground in Taunton.
What is ready now?
- Peas
- Mint
- Rosemary
- Lavender
- Lovage – great herb with a strong celery taste – use sparingly
- Oca Leaves – the leaves have a citrusy taste and great addition to salad
- Some lettuce leaves left
Our courgettes are progressing and some are in flower…. so will be ready very soon.
Come along and hear all about the community garden and what is ready now.
We need your help to weed, plant and haul water! We have big plans for Somerset Square and need your help. Bring you garden forks, trowels and gloves for some extra special TLC to this wonderful display. This time we hoping to transform the slope into a wonderful terrace of incredible edibles.
Chris Goodhall Talk-The Switch 26 June
Quaker Meeting House, Bath Place, Taunton TA1 4EP
Doors will open at 6pm with light refreshments available.
£3 entry on door to help cover costs.
Chris Goodall will cover the subject of his latest
book, The Switch. He will explain why a rapid
transition to renewable energy is essential,
affordable and technically feasible.
Followed by questions and discussion.
Chris is a good speaker and renowned
expert on new energy technologies with a website
at: http://www.carboncommentary.com
The Great Get Together
https://michellerumney.com/longrun-meadow-labyrinth-inspired-jo-cox/
On Sunday 18th June in Taunton…
Christopher Jelley and Michelle Rumney will create a Labyrinth at Longrun Meadow in Taunton and want people to come along (bring a picnic) and join them larking about by the Labyrinth!
This is part of the The Great Get Together Campaign that aims to overcome loneliness – bring a friend or family members, or somebody you know doesn’t often get out. Free
A Classic or Cretan 7-path labyrinth in the grass will be created; the artists are inviting people to join in the afternoon and find all sorts of ways to use it – walking it together, in pairs, in a conga.. and alone – quietly or noisily – who knows?!
WHERE: Longrun Meadow… next to French Weir Park
WHEN: Sunday 18th June – From 2pm
Bring a picnic!
Bike Ride Around Taunton – Sun 18th June
Sunday 18th June 10.30-12.30pm Free led Ride organised by TACC
Location: Vivary Park Bandstand
A gentle loop cycle ride of 11 miles. Taking in some of Taunton’s hidden cycle network and green wedges, we will be passing though scenic Bathpool via the canal towpath. Children under 16 years must be accompanied by an adult. Email tauntonareacyclingcampaign@gmail.com if you intend to come. http://www.tacc.space
Growing Taunton @ Somerfest – Sat 17th June
Join us on Saturday in Somerset Square to get your chance to plant and take away your very own veggie seeds.
Taunton Longswords are going to be attempting to break records by slashing plastic milk bottles in two – see 1000 cuts challenge.. https://www.facebook.com/TauntonLongswords
So Taunton Transition will receive the halved milk bottles and getting everyone to plant a seed/s of their choice. We have got compost… we have seed… so get planting on Saturday from 12 to 6.
Where: Somerset Square below the planters (between the Cricket ground and the Brewhouse).
When: Sat 17th June 12 to 6.
Plus hear all about Taunton Area Cycling Campaign and the latest happenings for the promotion of cycling in the local area.
Growing Taunton – Sat 3rd June
Location: Somerset Square, between the Cricket Ground and the Brewhouse Theatre.
Time: 10.30-12.30
Growing Taunton will be out working on the planters and slope in Somerset Square on Saturday.
The focus will be on completing one of the terraces on the slope.
Bring spades, trowels and gloves and prepare to get stuck in.
The aim is to have level terraces on this small slope to make planting easier and help retain water rather than let it run off.
Growing Taunton – Update
Great progress has been made to the slope around the planters at Somerset Square. The idea was to transform the slope into a series of terraces using recycled materials. We used plastic vegetable boxes filled with stones from the very area we were digging… it was full of stones! The vegetable boxes came from the local green grocer Granny Smiths.
The plan is to lay black weed suppressant cloth over the beds and the gabions and around the plants and vegetables. This will suppress the weeds and save on some watering. Bear with us until we get this finished.
What do we have growing in the planters?
Planter nearest ‘Eat the Bird’
Phacelia – a green manure
Oca just poking through
Ruby Chard
- Phacelia – we grow Phacelia as a quick growing hardy green manure. It comes out in purple/blue flowers. It smothers weeds and has an extensive root system that improves soil structure. It is listed as one of the top honey-producing flowers for honeybees and is attractive to bumblebees and hoverflies (which eat aphids).
- Oca – One of the ‘Lost Crops’ of the Incas, this is a wonderful plant still widely grown in Bolivia & Peru. Oca is planted and cooked just like potatoes (although they are smaller, the size of new potatoes) and it has a lemony taste like potatoes with lemon butter mixed with a slighty nutty taste. Apparently you can also eat the leaves though I have not tried yet. Find out how to grow at: http://downtheplot.com/oca.php , and how to eat at: http://fastcheapgood.blogspot.co.uk/search/label/oca
- Ruby chard – this is a great addition to our vegetable plot here. Easy to grow and very delicious. When it is young you can use as a salad leave and when bigger cook stalk and leave like spinach. Chard is part of the beet cultivars along with beetroot and sugar beet and is a descendant of the sea beet. Check out this great recipe – Inzimino di Ceci
Alliums growing amongst the mint
4. Mint is growing here in such abundance. Please come along and pick and eat… great in a cocktail or chopped and added to yoghurt.
5. Broad beans are nearly ready… got some good healthy pods growing. When ready please come along pick and eat. Want a great recipe with broad beans.. try this: broad bean falafel.
5. Strawberries… this fantastic fruit certainly adds to the colour of the vegetable bed. Please pick and remember to wash throughly. Great to eat on their own or in a risotto… yes… strawberries are great in a risotto.
Middle Planter
6. The peas are coming on strong.. you can eat the pea shoots (great in a primavera risotto or addition to a stir fry) or wait for the beautiful pods to develop. Not ready yet but should be shortly.
7. Just planted these french beans that hopefully will grow healthy beans that will be a great addition to a stir fry.
8. These lettuces are prime for picking… please come along and grab yourself a lettuce. Remember to wash throughly.
9. Lavender – we plant this to encourage the pollinators. Plus it is so fragrant.
10. Courgette – just planted this courgette plant…. should be ready late July to August. We are growing in a cloche at the moment to save on the watering…
11. Fennel – flowering plant species in the carrot family. It is a hardy, perennial herb with yellow flowers and feathery leaves. Pick for the leaves to flavour your salad or produce a wonderful aniseed pesto.
12. Rosemary… pick this as a great accompaniment to meat or vegetables… I think it is best with chickpeas, garlic and tomato puree with spaghetti. This is a great plant for these planters as rosemary is so drought-tolerant.
3rd Planter
13. Swiss Chard…. we already have the ruby chard.. .well you will find swiss chard as well in the planters. Incredibly easy to grow and something that is so versatile to cook. Swiss chard is something like spinach but with a slightly more earthy taste. The stalks are larger in chard than spinach but is something you should not throw away. Why don’t you pickle them. Ready to pick now… just pick the leaves and remember to leave some for others.
14. Sage – another great herb great with meat and beans. Drought-tolerant but can tolerate most weathers. Ready now.
The Slope
15. A new addition this year is the planting of the slope. We are turning the slope into a terrace of vegetables and fruits. The first plant being the potato.
16. Lemon Balm – unusual herb Lemon balm is an easy to grow herb that not only attracts bees to the garden, but is also a great anti-viral with relaxing properties that are helpful for soothing frayed nerves and calming hyper children. Pick the leaves now. Find out about the herb here.
