Grow East Anglia

Lets talk tomatoes!

This year has been one of our best yet for tomatoes – and we couldn’t be more delighted! The plants have grown strong and healthy, filling the poly tunnel with a dazzling array of colours, shapes, and flavours. From tiny bursts of sweetness to unusual heritage varieties, every harvest has felt like opening a treasure chest.

A very special thank you goes to my friend’s dad – Geoff from Weymouth, who generously sent us his carefully saved tomato seeds. Thanks to him, we’ve been able to grow some incredible varieties that you don’t see in the shops. Among them are the delightful ‘Spoon’, a miniature tomato that is as sweet as it is charming, a peach-like tomato with a soft fuzzy skin, a mystery yellow variety that has surprised us with its sunny colour and juicy bite, and even a green tomato that is perfectly ripe when it looks unripe!

These tomatoes have been more than just a harvest – they’ve been a reminder of the joy of sharing, seed-saving, and the little surprises that nature gives us when we nurture it. Every salad, sandwich, and sauce we’ve made has tasted all the better knowing the story behind these seeds.

Here’s to another year of experimenting, growing, and sharing the fruits of our allotment with The Shelf social supermarket in Diss – and to keeping the seed-saving tradition alive for seasons to come.

Parkinson’s UK Info Event

Grow East Anglia at the Parkinson’s UK Information Event

Grow East Anglia were delighted to be part of the Parkinson’s UK Info Event yesterday—a fantastic day of connection, learning, and community spirit.

We joined a wide range of brilliant organisations including Citizens Advice Diss and Thetford, Rural Coffee Caravan, DanceEast, Archery GB, Milestone Fitness, Active Suffolk, Active Lives, and Wooden Roots African Drumming, all working to support health, wellbeing, and social connection in our region.

At our stall, we enjoyed chatting to visitors about the work we do at our community allotment—growing food for those in need, offering volunteering opportunities, and helping people feel more connected to nature and each other. We brought along a selection of homegrown herbal teas to share (lemon balm was especially popular!) and had some lovely conversations swapping gardening tips and plant care ideas.

It was inspiring to meet so many people committed to making a difference—whether through fitness, creativity, advice, or a welcoming cuppa—and we’re proud to be part of such a vibrant local network.

Thanks to Parkinson’s UK for organising such a meaningful event. We look forward to many more collaborations!

How lovely are these?

These fabulous multicoloured beetroot are just one of the many things we’re growing for the Shelf community supermarket in Diss.

If you’d like to get involved in Growing For Good, let us know! We can help with seeds and advice.

Grow your own Pizza

We look forward to welcoming you to this much anticipates workshop this Saturday! Just a reminder, the workshop is free, just bring toppings to share. Dough, tomato sauce and squash will be available on the day. Be prepared to get a little muddy as we’ll be potting up basil and chilli plants before we get into cooking pizzas.

See you there!!

Grow your own tea

Set among the greenery of our community garden, we explored the world of herbal teas, beginning with a wander through the beds to pick fresh plants including mint, lemon balm, and catnip.

Our recent Grow Your Own Tea workshop was a joyful blend of hands-on learning, delicious homemade treats, and storytelling magic.

Participants of all ages joined in as we harvested fragrant leaves, learning how to identify the herbs and understand their traditional uses. We discussed how to properly dry herbs for storage, and everyone had the chance to create their own tea blends using the dried leaves. We even made our own tea bags — simple, sustainable, and satisfying!

New Connections

Attendees left not only with their own hand-blended herbal teas and decorated gift bags, but also with new friendships and a renewed sense of connection to nature, wellbeing, and each other.

Each blend came with its own story. Mint for refreshment, lemon balm for calm, and catnip — the surprise favourite — for its gentle soothing qualities, especially for our feline friends! The children especially loved this one, carefully preparing little pouches of dried catnip to take home for their pets.

Adding to the charm of the day, storyteller Suzanne Arnold wove tales between sips of tea and slices of homemade cake. Her warm and captivating stories added an extra layer of magic, drawing smiles and laughter from everyone gathered.

Participant Comment

“It’s not often that we get to sit and relax as adults, and listening to a story with a home made cup of tea was a wonderful treat“

KEY FEEDBACK

Suggestions included:

Afternoon workshops

Cooking with home grown produce

Sunflower growing competition

Composting workshop

TEA WORKSHOP – MAY 2025

New raised beds

Thanks to funding from the Sustainable Communities Food Fund, we’ve been able to add 12 brand new raised growing beds to our site—an incredible boost to our capacity to grow fresh, healthy food for the community.

Take a look at the before and after photos to see just how far we’ve come. It’s been a real transformation, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of our amazing volunteers. They’ve put in countless hours digging, building, and planting—and it really shows. We’re so proud of what’s been achieved!

What a Fantastic Day at Our First Plant & Seed Swap!

What a brilliant day we had at our very first Plant & Seed Swap! We were thrilled to welcome 23 people who came along to share seeds, plants, and plenty of gardening enthusiasm. There was a real sense of community as people exchanged tips, stories, and ideas for growing their own food and flowers.

We were also delighted to have Bev from The Shelf join us for the event! She had a great time chatting with everyone and is looking forward to sharing spare seeds and plants at The Shelf, helping more people get involved in growing their own food. Later in the year, she’s also excited to share fresh produce from the community garden, making healthy, homegrown food more accessible to those who need it. It’s fantastic to see these connections growing! 🌿✨

Even better, the rain held off until the very end, giving us the perfect window for a successful event. We all came away with lots of different chilli and tomato varieties to grow, as well as plenty of broad beans to get started. And we’re all looking forward to seeing cosmos flowers pop up later in the year, adding a splash of colour to our gardens!

The good news is, we’ll be doing it all again in May! If you’d like to be the first to know about the next swap, please get in touch and we’ll add you to the list.

A huge thank you to everyone who came along, contributed, and helped make the day such a success. We can’t wait to do it again! 🌱✨

Grow your own.. broad beans

As the weather finally begins to warm, we can at last start thinking about growing this year’s cops. A good one to start the year off with are broad beans. Broad beans are a hardy and rewarding crop, offering sweet and tender beans that can be enjoyed in various dishes, or even just eat them raw! Here’s a quick guide to help you grow your own broad beans:

1. Sowing Time:

Autumn Sowing: In mild areas, sow hardy varieties like ‘Aquadulce Claudia’ in October or November for an early harvest.
Spring Sowing: In colder regions, sow in February or March.

2. Selecting Varieties:

‘Aquadulce Claudia’ is ideal for autumn sowing due to its hardiness.
‘The Sutton’ is a compact variety suitable for small spaces or containers.

3. Sowing Seeds:

Direct Sowing: Plant seeds 5cm deep and 15-23cm apart in well-prepared soil. Rows should be 60cm apart.
Indoor Sowing: For early crops, sow seeds individually in 9cm pots indoors in late winter.

4. Soil Preparation:

Choose a sunny, sheltered spot with fertile, moist but well-drained soil.
Incorporate well-rotted compost or manure to improve soil fertility.

5. Plant Care:

Support: Tall varieties may require staking to prevent lodging.
Watering: Keep soil moist, especially during flowering and pod development.
Pinching Tips: Remove shoot tips after the first pods set to deter black bean aphids and encourage pod development.

6. Harvesting:

Harvest when pods are well-filled, typically 15 weeks from spring sowing.
For sweeter beans, pick when the scar on the bean is still white or green.

7. Post-Harvest:

After harvesting, cut plants down to the base and compost them, but leave roots in the ground to boost nitrogen levels.

By following these steps, you can enjoy a bountiful harvest of broad beans, enriching your meals and your garden soil alike. See rhs.org.uk for more helpful growing tips!

Preparing for Our First Community Gardening Workshop

Today, I’ve been out planting broad beans, getting everything ready for our first big workshop in a couple of weeks! It’s always exciting to see the first seeds go into the soil, knowing they’ll soon be sprouting into strong, healthy plants. With it being the official first day of spring today, now is the perfect time to start thinking about what we can grow together.

Our upcoming Seed Swap & Plant Giveaway on the 22nd of March will be a fantastic chance for people to come together, share seeds, and take home seedlings and planting guides to kickstart their own growing journey. Whether you’re an experienced gardener or a complete beginner, you’ll be welcome to join us.

🌱 What to Expect at the Workshop 🌱

Free Seeds & Seedlings – Take home plants and seeds to grow in your garden or on your windowsill.
Planting Guides – Helpful tips on how to get the best results from your crops.
Tea, Coffee & Cake – Because no gathering is complete without a cuppa and something sweet!
Community Connection – Meet fellow gardening enthusiasts and swap ideas, advice, and seeds.

I’d love to see as many people as possible join us for this event. It’s a great way to get outdoors, learn something new, and take home something to grow. Even if you don’t have a garden, there are plenty of ways to grow food in small spaces, and we’re happy to share ideas on how to make the most of whatever space you have.

So, mark your calendars and spread the word—let’s grow something amazing together! 🌿💚

First Earlies

Chitting Away: Preparing Casablanca Potatoes for a Bountiful Harvest 🌱🥔

At Grow East Anglia, the growing season has only just begin for 2025, and we’re excited to announce that we’ve started chitting our first early potatoes: the Casablanca variety. These versatile and delicious potatoes are known for their smooth skin, creamy texture, and fantastic flavour—perfect for an early crop of new potatoes!

In 12 weeks or so, The Casablanca potatoes will be available at The Shelf, the Community Supermarket at Citizens Advice in Diss. The Shelf provides affordable, fresh produce to the local community, and we’re thrilled to play a part in supporting this vital initiative.

What Is Chitting?

Chitting is the process of encouraging seed potatoes to sprout before planting them in the ground. It gives the potatoes a head start, helping them grow more quickly once they’re in the soil.

Here’s how to chit your own potatoes:

Choose Healthy Seed Potatoes: Select firm seed potatoes with no signs of rot or damage.
Place Them in a Tray: Arrange the potatoes in an egg carton or seed tray with the “rose end” (the end with the most eyes) facing upwards.
Provide Light and Cool Conditions: Place the tray in a bright, cool spot—around 10°C is ideal. Avoid direct sunlight or frost.
Wait for Sprouts: Over the next few weeks, you’ll see sturdy green or purple shoots emerging from the eyes. Aim for sprouts about 1 inch long before planting.

What Happens Next?

Once the Casablanca potatoes are ready, our wonderful volunteers will plant and care for them at the community allotment. From watering and weeding to keeping an eye out for pests, every step is done with care to ensure a healthy, abundant crop.

By early summer, we hope to harvest a bumper crop of new potatoes that will be delivered straight to The Shelf. These fresh, locally grown spuds will be available to the community, providing nutritious and delicious meals for those who need them most.

Get Involved!

If you’re interested in learning more about gardening or want to lend a hand, we’d love to have you join our volunteer team. Whether you’re an experienced grower or just curious about getting your hands dirty, there’s a place for you here.

#potatoes #growyourown