01/06/2026
🌱 May 2026 Grower’s Update – Community Patchwork Farm
Hello from the gardens, and welcome to this month’s growers’ report.
Wozzon in the Gardens?
We’re thrilled to share some big news — we’ve just signed an agreement with Truro City Council to bring a new community growing space to life in Victoria Gardens. There’s a polytunnel frame ready to be reskinned, and space for growing, meeting, and learning together. There’s a bit of groundwork to do first, but once we’re up and running we’ll be looking for volunteers to help transform the site into a thriving hub for people and plants alike.
May itself has been a month of contrasts. We came in slightly drier than average (around 59–60mm of rain compared to the usual 69–70mm), which kept the soil cold and slowed early planting. Then the heatwave arrived — and it didn’t tiptoe in. The hottest, driest spell of the month hit all at once, flipping soils from wet to baked in just a few days.
Normally, that kind of sudden drying causes surface crusting and cracking, making it tough for young plants to get established. But this is where no‑dig gardening comes into its own. One of our heavy clay plots, covered last autumn with several inches of organic compost, has stayed in brilliant condition. The compost acts like a living mulch, holding moisture in and supporting the soil life below. As the earthworms keep pulling that organic matter down, the structure just gets better and better.
Not everything had an easy time, though. The heat has been tough on wildlife too. Our broad beans were almost entirely eaten by mice just before harvest — frustrating, yes, but we’re choosing to see it as helping one mouse family through the extreme weather. And the beans will still give back: nitrogen in the roots for future crops, and the stems and pods for the compost heap.
As we move into June, we’re starting our monthly community volunteer days around the city. Our first session will be tidying and planting up the roundabout seating area at The Leats. If you’d like to join us at 10.30am, here’s the location:
https://maps.app.goo.gl/LN9ABS6EZHUvgDpp9
We’ve also launched our new website, so please take a look and let us know if you spot anything that needs tweaking:
https://communitypatchworkfarm.org.uk/
You’ll also notice our new email addresses, though the old ones will stay active for a while yet.
What the Future Holds
The future is looking bright for our growing and expanding project. If you know someone who’d like to roll up their sleeves and get involved, send them our way via Facebook or follow the link to our website.
https://communitypatchworkfarm.org.uk/contact
We’re also still on the lookout for garden tools of all shapes and sizes. If you’ve got any spare, I’m happy to arrange collection — just drop me a message at [email protected]
