It was wonderful to see so many turn up on Wednesday, despite an overly gloomy forecast the day before which didn't come to pass! The greenhouses have had a clear out, vegetable patches dug over, wood cleared, pots and trays washed, strimming, mowing and lots else besides - all of this supplemented by two wonderful cakes made by the volunteers.
Putting a garden to bed for the winter is hard but enjoyable teamwork. However we also need to ensure that when it wakes again in Spring we have lots of colour to put a smile on our faces so we’ve spent a little bit of our budget on bulbs - tulips, daffodils and aliums - so we can get bulbing!
With the greenhouses now clear they too are ready to take overwintering plants and any seed that can be sown at this time of year. Fires are also planned! So lots and lots to get stuck into over the coming weeks.
Behind the scenes a lot of work is going into creating further opportunities for groups to use our fantastic acre. The Cookery Club is aiming for a launch date in a couple of weeks time which will be a tremendous asset to the community. It will provide a lovely experience for children and parents/guardians to work alongside each other to make healthy food to take home. We're working closely with Coral who runs her own cookery school to ensure that this initiative is great success.
Many will have seen the birdboxes in the workshop cabin, all beautifully made to a high standard by Men in Sheds. Soon they will be erecting the second hand shed ( which was donated to us) behind the cabin so they can store tools; the shed will also offer a little storage space for us. Next project is an hexagonal bench to go around our birch tree which we've wanted for a very long time.
The acre will also be hosting local schools more regularly this year and next. Our ' resident' school are picking their day of the week and their sister school are also looking to become more regular visitors. Last week we facilitated an activities day organised by the Bishops Meadow Trust which included demonstrations on tudor herbal pharmacy practices and a weaving session where the children were able to make something they were able to take home with them. Fantastic!
