The turf is now laid, and with this plus the planting, the whole garden has become green and vibrant. The circular area of turf, with it's storyteller's chair and horseshoe bench, visually connects with the existing playing field. We are waiting a week or so for the turf to bed in, and then the construction fences will be taken down and removed. Consequently we have been extremely grateful for the past weekend of rain!
The current P7 (who amongst some of the other years were instrumental in getting the garden project started a couple of years ago), brought the first of the artwork to the garden in the form of handprinting. Using five colours of acrylic paint, including the two associated with the schools colours, they made individual handprints on the fence, to enliven the play area of the garden and record their involvement. Enjoy the garden whilst you are here, P7, and come back to see how it develops over time. You will always be welcome in it. An enormous thanks to Donald and all the staff at Greens Nursery, Nairn, who gave us fantastic advice on planting and kindly agreed to supply us with plants at wholesale cost. This enabled us to fill up the raised beds with perrenials, structural plants and herbs for a full to brimming display. See http://www.greensnurseries.com/ We also purchased a number of plants locally from the nursery at the Floral Hall, Inverness which supports the 'Adults with Learning Difficulties' project through plant sales. The strawberry plants, vegetables and many of the herbs were sourced from here. See http://www.invernessfloralhall.com/ We also need to give thanks to Alasdair at Ardfearn Nursery near Inverness, who advised us on and supplied all the fruiting trees and shrubs. See http://www.ardfearn-nursery.co.uk/ Finally thanks to all the children, parents and friends of the garden who have taken in plants and seedlings to date. It is, of course, lovely to have a little bit of everybody's garden in the community garden at the school. We continue to welcome plants from you all and will aim to get them planted within the garden, or better still come and plant them yourself! We are still seeking some rhubarb if anybody has some going spare. Parent and member of the garden group Mel, along with the children, learned how to build (and then play) a xylophone when the maker 'Happyness Drummer' Steve Sharpe delivered it to the school today. Steve was commissioned for the design and manufacture of the xylophone for the school. It is an eleven key xylophone, with colour coded notes and upto ten children or thereby can play it together. It is built from durable heartwood larch, to tie in with the timber used throughout the garden. Oh, so much fun will be had on this instrument in the garden! See http://www.drumfun.co.uk/ An enormous thanks to all the families, friends and members of staff from the school who came along on the May Day Holiday to plant up the garden. It was great fun and amazingly quick owing to a good turn out! The four raised beds which are grouped together are now planted up as: 1 | Fruit (Autumn Raspberries) 2 | Floral (for all the seasons with lots of sensory plants and colours) 3 | Fruit + Vegetable (entirely edible) 4 | Herbs (again all edible). The fifth bed which stand alone by the pergola is a mixture of floral and edible giving structure, shade and scent. As the beds bulk up and fill out over time, they will be thinned out to provide plants for the nursery garden and the front of the school. A special thanks also needs to go out to Mike Brandon, who came along on the day to instruct us all on the planting of the beech hedge and fruit trees. |
AuthorLike everything else, the website and blog is a team effort, and we are happy to keep you informed. Archives
April 2014
Categories |