The garden is taking shape!

Our updated garden design

 It's been a little while since our last update, way back in May, but SO much has been happening in the garden since then!

The last post was all about having to delay panting trees until we could actually get spades into the ground - we had had a few weeks of beautiful sunshine if you remember and the ground had been baked hard!  The good new is that over the last few weeks we have been able to replant our lovely saplings all around the garden and all of them have survived, indeed thrived their summer home in pots! 

A beautiful Autumn day for our first Working Party

Trees galore!

We have also had our brilliant new ramp installed to provide access to the garden from the back door.  The design features vegetable beds along each side at a child-friendly height.  I'm sure the staff can't wait to help the children plant them up with courgettes and carrots in the spring!  Our local builder's merchant, Chandlers very generously provided us with all the materials for this ramp, and Bantings did the work at their charitable rate.  So, thank you so much to all of you - we couldn't do this without your help!

The brilliant new ramp and veg beds

Our willow arch is growing well and has had its first "styling" session from master woodsmen Martin and Helen!  They have carefully tied the shoots to make the arch shape and it looks great!

Martin and Helen working on the willow arch

The willow arch really taking shape!

 The digging pit has been dug in and awaits its time to be filled in, ready for eager children to get muddy in!

The tyre diggin pit

Our bug hotels are taking shape too - especially our pallet stack, affectionately known as Bug Towers.  We intend to fill this with all sorts of bits and pieces at the next working party on November 15th, 9.30 - 1pm.  So, if you have any old tiles, air bricks, bamboo sticks, twigs, drainpipes etc, please bring them down.  If you want an idea of what it will look like - head on over here.

The next stage is to pave around the ramp to provide wheelchair access and to dig in the tyres that will become our strawberry beds.  We are also having a small shed constructed and applying for funding to build our pond.

Lisa diggin out the earth ready for our shed

Martin identifying an unknown plant

 It's all very exciting and great fun.  if you would like to be part of the group that's making it happen, please ask at reception how to get involved, either at the working parties, providing materials and plants, or helping us raise the funds we need to finish.  Thanks for your help so far.  Time for a short break - but do join us this saturday if you can.  Also, if you have any plants we could use, please bring them down anytime.  we are looking for cottage garden, woodland and native plants please - but nothing poisonous.  Thank you!

Working Party Tea and treat break

One of our first visitors!