Happy New Year. We hope 2018 is good to you all.

A busy few months ahead on our community garden area

Hopefully we have handed over responsibility for general maintenance to our newly appointed gardeners and coordinators - the staff and volunteers from the Well Communities - while it is in relatively good condition. Although over the next month or two there will be a variety of maintenance tasks that need to be completed, particularly on the community garden area of our project.

Trimming the mixed hedging borders (beech, hawthorn and hazel)

Weeding throughout the community garden

Repairs to the raised planters around the seating area.

Looking after our feathered friends over the holiday period

Happy Christmas to all our friends, service users and supporters

Well its that time of year where we take a little time to thank all of our friends, service users and supporters for their continued support throughout the year and to wish everyone a very happy christmas.

We look forward to seeing all again in the New Year where there will be some new and exciting changes. In particular our work with new friends and helpers, the staff and volunteers from the Well Communities, who have taken over responsibility for ensuring the garden and the site overall are maintained. They will also be on hand to meet visitors and service users when they open the site for a few days a week at times to be confirmed in the New Year.

Shrubs in our planted borders looking a little wintry today

Our mini beast hotels looking a little cool this morning

A frosty start this morning

Maintaining the railway arches - keeping them clean and tidy

Clearing and tidying arch D in preparation of the handover of maintenance of the site to The Well Communities.

                                

Winter is on its way

Free spotter sheets from Wildlife Watch

If you would like to learn more about the Wildlife Watch and view/download more of their excellent spotter sheets please visit their website here

Time to plant that garlic

If you are interest in finding out about growing organically or would like to view and download more of the informative grow your own cards (as detailed above) please visit the Garden Organic website here.
The excellent cards cover a variety of plants including, vegetables, herbs, edible flowers and fruit.

Its a little cool on the garden this morning

Preparing for the imminent demolition of 188 Marsh Street

Recently confirmed new gardeners maintaining the site

Our recently confirmed gardeners from The Well Communities maintaining the site. This work will include, among other tasks: hedge trimming, maintenance of the planters, removing weeds and generally keeping the area clean and tidy. Hopefully breathing new life into the garden in readiness for the spring.We are also working together to hopefully be able to confirm dates in the spring that the garden will be opened on a regular basic and manned by staff and volunteers from the Well Communities.

Recycle to help protect young and tender seedlings

Apologies for any telephone communication problems on our part

Apologies if you are having trouble contacting us by phone we have been having a few intermittent problems with our handset. It has been frustrating but hopefully this will be resolved shortly.

Our garden in its wintry phase

Its beginning to feel a little wintry today

For those who would like to know more about our new helpers - The Well Communities

Our bird feeders are proving to be popular

Just to keep you all updated re our new gardeners/coordinator roles

We are now in the process of contacting all those who have been allocated a planter and/or a key to the site just to let them know what is happening following our recent announcement regarding the involvement of the Well Communities within our project. Hopefully reassuring all that this will not effect how or when they use the project and its facilities. It is a case of please just carry on as usual.

I have also had a very productive meeting this morning with David from the Well which I hope has helped to ensure we are all pulling together in the same direction and all want the same successful future for the project as a whole.Please watch this space as things are developed further and other details are confirmed in the future. Thank you.

Introducing our new coordinators and gardeners

Following Grahams decision in the summer to stand down from his responsibility for garden maintenance throughout the site and for coordinating activities Marsh Street Arches and Garden CIC would like to introduce you all to our new gardeners and coordinators - The Well Communities. Following recent meetings with our management committee it has been agreed that the Well will take over responsibility for maintaining the site, acting as coordinator and having members of their staff and volunteers to be on hand to meet visitors when they begin regularly opening the garden at times to be confirmed.

The first opportunity to meet them all will be at the Green Heart Den at 10 am this Sunday the 10th December.

The Well Communities are based in the old Neighbourhood Management Office at 242 Dalton Road and they can be contacted on mobile: 07488383013


Graham will remain a member of the CIC, continue managing our social media accounts and will no doubt be seen regularly pottering about on the garden and among other things; looking after the wildlife area, relaxing,  photographing wildlife, growing his own vegetables and helping where he can. 

It is early days for our new ways of working and things may change but our management committee will keep you all updated here and will be posting more details as and when they are confirmed.

I wonder if we will see any snow this year?

 

Its all about people.......here are some of our favourites activities

There is never a shortage of maintenance tasks

Preparing to clean out our bird nest boxes

Early morning on the grow your own scheme

Fellow community growers making good use of our poly tunnel