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BALSALL HEATH JUNGLE

Balsall Heath Jungle Book

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“Plot Planning Day”
SATURDAY November 5th 2005
2.00 - 4.00pm at Mary St
    We will be holding a Plot Planning Event on Saturday November 5th between 2.00pm and 4.00pm at Mary St. Come along with a diagram of your growing space and Jungle staff will be on hand to help you plan next year’s crops. Seed catalogues will be available and you will be able to photocopy information about crop rotation, soil preparation and companion planting. Chris will be available to put your garden plans onto our website so that other people can share what Jungle members are doing and you can look back at your plans in the Spring.
    We’ve ordered lots of fruit trees for winter planting – if you didn’t pre-order yours, come and see what we will have, and reserve something
    Do you grow anything unusual? Jungle would like to hear from members who grow unusual fruits and vegetables. One of our members has donated some okra seeds to us which we will be attempting to grow next year. Balsall Heath already boasts fine Kiwi fruit and figs but there might be more hidden treasures that we don’t know about! Please let us know what you are growing!
Simple Herbal Remedy Session for Women
Jungle has teamed up with Noreen Lopez from Herbal Roots and Balsall Heath Sure Start to run a taster session for women. In this session you will learn how to make simple home preparations to treat colds and flu and learn when it is essential to call a doctor. If you would like to take part in a session you will need to book a place. Priority will be given to Sure Start parents. Sessions will run on:
    Monday 14th November 10am - 12pm at Jakeman Rd Neighbourhood Nursery
    Saturday 19th November 10am - 12pm at Balsall Heath Church Centre
    Monday 21st November 12.30pm - 2.30pm at Jakeman Rd Community Nursery
To book a place please phone Jungle or send us an e-mail.

YOUR GARDEN IN NOVEMBER
More info from www.hdra.org.uk

    Start collecting leaves this month to make into “leaf mould”. Collect fallen leaves in a bin bag when they are wet, put holes in the bag and leave in a corner outside for 2 years. It is an excellent soil conditioner and particularly useful as a winter cover for bare soil and as a moisture-retentive mulch.
    Make sure compost bins are covered to keep the heat in and the water out.
    Tidy up all bits of plants from the vegetable plot and put it on your compost heap.  This helps reduce pests and diseases next year.
    Plant rhubarb crowns in October-November.
    Plant garlic from November onwards.  You can buy organic garlic cloves from us, selecting for growing in this country.  
    Start a compost trench: bury kitchen waste at about a spade’s depth, preferably where the beans will grow next year. Cover the waste with soil, as soon as you add it, to prevent foxes or other animals from scavenging.
    You can save money by keeping leftover seed for use next season. Most vegetable seed should last at least a couple of years, with the exception of parsnip, and some can last much longer. Before ordering new seed, check through this season's leftover packets and make a note of what is there for use next year. Store in a glass jar or plastic box in a cool, dry place. To check if the seed’s still ok put a pinch of seed into a small pot of compost and see if it germinates.

“L”-Plate Gardening
One of our members, Midge, is running a weekly session for new food growers at Moor Green allotments. It will take place between 10.00pm and 12.00pm on Fridays. These sessions will be “hands on”, very simple gardening techniques and Jungle will be able to support your learning with drop-in sessions and information sheets.  If you would like to take part then please phone us on 446 4798 or come to Mary St at 9.45 am on a Friday. If you require transport please ring first.  
        

Rocket-Fuelled Onions
Ingredients
1 cup onion chopped thinly
1/2 clove fresh garlic, finely chopped
4 tsp fresh lemon or lime juice
1/2 tsp sweet paprika
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Method
Mix all of the ingredients in a bowl and leave to stand for about 30 minutes while the flavours blend.
This will keep a few days if it is kept in the fridge.

George Street Park
Do you use George Street Park? If you do, Jungle would like to hear what you think of it! We are working in partnership with Groundwork Birmingham to carry out a local consultation to see how the park could be improved. We will be carrying out a door-to-door survey in November and there will be an event in the park in November. Questionnaires will also be available from us at 100 Mary Street. One of the main problems in the park is the amount of rubbish and broken glass. Some women in the neighbourhood are getting together once a week to litter pick and if you would like to join them give Jungle a ring and we can put you in contact.
Recycle your Batteries in Balsall Heath
Great news for the environment!! Hywel from St Paul’s Venture is working in partnership with Groundwork to recycle dry cell batteries in Balsall Heath. So don’t throw your old batteries in the bin where they become hazardous waste. Bring them along to Jungle and we will pass them on to Hywel, otherwise drop them off at the bin located in the reception of The Venture at the City Farm on Malvern St. A big thank you to all at St. Paul’s for supporting this initiative.

JUNGLE EVENTS at 100 Mary Street

Saturday 5th November 2-4 pm: Plot Planning Day. Get ready for 2006 before you forget what happened on your growing space during 2005. Now is the time to do it! RESERVE A FRUIT TREE TO COLLECT ON..
Saturday 3 December 2-4 pm Fruit tree pick-up day.  Pick up the tree or plant you have ordered, or drop in to see what is left over.
Thursdays, 10am–2.30 pm: Women's Gardening Group. Good food, good company, lots of chat and informative discussions about gardening. In a women-only environment.
Tuesdays, 10 am-3 pm: Drop-in Centre. Come and tell us about your garden, get advice, buy gardening supplies and share lunch.
Tuesdays, 12-1 pm: Shared Lunch. Bring some vegetarian food, share a meal and chat about growing food.



 
SPTLIGHT
Why is Balsall Heath full of RUBBISH?
We live in a vibrant multicultural inner city area that has many trees, parks and gardens for us all to enjoy. Sadly over the last few years our area has become increasingly blighted by the amount of filth and rubbish on our streets. The main reason for this is a well known pest – no, not rats, but us. Increasingly, we are buying over-packaged products and disposable items, many of which end up as rubbish on our streets.
We can all tackle this problem together by dealing with our own waste in a responsible way. Try reducing the amount of plastic you throw out by taking your own reusable bag shopping, avoid buying over-packaged items and ask shops to accept waste back. Recycle glass, paper and tin - sadly our box scheme has been taken away but St Paul’s Venture has recycling facilities and there are bottle banks in some streets. Talk to young people about the importance of not dropping litter on the street. If a child learns early not to do this then the problem will decrease.
Make use of the Council’s bulk rubbish collections or better still freecycle your goods via Birmingham freecycle (an internet Yahoo group). We can help you get onto this group if you need assistance.
Get together with your friends and neighbours to clear up your street and get out and enjoy the fruits of your hard work. People are less likely to drop rubbish if your street is clean.
We are running a Keep Balsall Heath Green and Clean poster competition. Please send your entries to the usual address, including your name, age and address.  
JUNGLE EVENTS 2006

No Open Day in January
Saturday 4th February 4-9pm: Special Event Gardening stuff at 4pm, eat at 6pm, Growing Words II at 7pm.  PUT IT IN YOUR DIARY NOW!
Saturday 4th March 2-4pm: Annual Members’ Meeting.

 OTHER ORGANISATIONS’ EVENTS
Sunday 20th November (to be confirmed): Balsall Heath Walking Group. See some new places and meet some new faces. Enjoy some local countryside. Please call Martyn on 4642552 for details.
Wednesday 16th November: Birmingham Organic Gardeners. Monthly Meeting 7.15-9.30pm – Dame Elizabeth Cadbury Hall, Bournville. Soup tasting evening using home-grown ingredients produced by BOG members.
Saturday 26th November: International No Shopping Day. A good day to get out in the garden and maybe plant some broad beans and garlic.