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The Butterfly Garden,
Bamfurlong Lane,
Cheltenham,
Gloucestershire.
GL51 6SL
01452 -713068
map
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BUTTERFLY NEWS SPRING
2007
FLUTTER...BUY ! No flight of fancy.
There has been great excitement in the camp over the last few
weeks, as students have picked up the news that they are to have
their own shop.
This week the talking was over, fiction has become fact and the
shop is built.
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There is still much to be done to the interior, but we are now
driven by a deadline. The shop will be formally opened to the
public on Friday May 11th at 10.30 am by Tewkesbury MP. Laurence
Robertson. The project continues to grow and this development,
which is to be run by the students is part of a commitment to
broadening experience and creating sustainability for the scheme.
It is hoped that the shop can be opened everyday and we are keen
to find volunteers to help with weekend cover. So, if you know
of anyone, please put them in touch.
GONE TO POT
Some of you will recall that in the last newsletter we mentioned
the polystyrene boxes that we were salvaging from a fruit
and veg merchant.
The boxes had been destined for the tip and we were exploring
the idea of recycling them to grow vegetables in. Well, I
can report that they have been a huge success and that in
fact we have been selling them in support of the garden
The boxes offer good depth for root vegetables and the Potatoes
(as our picture shows) have been fantastic. |
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ARE THE STARS OUT TONIGHT ?
No, but they were one afternoon in March, when they visited
us. The stars in question were an enterprise group from
the Star College, who had run a Valentines Day sale in support
of the garden and had called in to hand over the proceeds
of their event. It was a lovely surprise and we do thank
them for their help
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.A STAR IS BORN
A special mention this month to Jed Brierley from Gloucester.
Jed, who attends each Friday is a star in the making. On a visit
here two months ago he happened to mention that he enjoyed reading
and would quite like to read to an audience. In the following
week we recorded him and then offered his tape to a number of
un-primed listeners. Everyone thought that he belonged on Radio
5. In the time since, he has continued with his recording and
now we are trying to find him an audience..................It
will happen.
If you would like to hear him or know somebody who might then
do contact us.
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It`s too quiet on the western front....
if anyone sees Reg, please let him know we need him back
as soon as possible..
last reports had him topping up his tan in Weston Super
Mare
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we think Reg has gone on holiday ... |
Our booklet is available at just £1.95 or for just £2.40
if you would like it posted. or Call 01452 - 713124 to order a copy. |
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THE CATTLE ARE LOWING..................
It is with much sadness that we report the death this spring of Geoff
Saxon. Geoff was the local farmer that introduced livestock to the site,
last year putting beef calves on our paddock. He was a real local character
and hugely supportive, his daily visits to the site will be greatly missed
by us all.
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GOD SAVE THE PLANET.
So says Wesley Bayliss anyway. He and Gerald Topliss have become
the champions of a recycling scheme in the garden
One of the real nightmares of recycling is connected with the disposal
of garden plastic. Old pots and trays in particular are proving
to be quite a problem
Every shed in the land boasts a pile of units of every shape, size
and colour imaginable and nobody knows (even it seems those that
should) what to do with them. Until now that is. We have found a
specialist recycler in Warminster who just deals in plastic and
last month we delivered our first consignment to him They were very
impressed and have offered to help us in developing our scheme
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EGG STRA ORDINARY.
The site echoed over the easter holidays with the sounds of a hundred
tiny feet. Squeals of delight and unfettered joy spread into every space
and all stillness was lost. But then that's what you get when you agree
to host the playgroup easter egg hunt. The Reddings playgroup who have
become regular visitors (and indeed have their own plot) asked to hold
their event in the garden and they took over the place. It was wonderful.
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HANGING ABOUT..? Not us mate, we're on a mission.
It was the evening before the Cheltenham Festival and the telephone
was ringing. It was the landlady of the local pub, "I have
a bit of a panic on" she said "and I wondered if the Butterfly
Garden students might be able to help me out ". After a long
winter of neglect, it was spotted that the garden of the pub was
looking tired and quite uninviting and just at the time when thousands
of customers would be around.
At 9.30 am the next morning the pub garden was alive with students.
They were everywhere, hanging up baskets, planting up borders and
cutting the grass. It was an amazing transformation. The pub were
delighted and we have been invited to consider the practicality
of a regular maintenance contract.
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CAKE SALE IN THE DOUGHNUT.
We have today learned from a secret source of a major disruption at Cheltenhams
high security GCHQ building. It seems that staff at the site were set
upon by a lady selling cakes in support of the Butterfly Garden. We understand
that this individual was apprehended and that certain monies were seized.
Our sincere thanks to Sue Hopkinson for her hard work and to her colleagues
for their generous support.
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COME AND JOIN THE GARDEN PARTY AGAIN !
One of the problems with creating something like the Butterfly garden
is that it demands constant attention. Plants need watering, lawns need
cutting, animals need feeding and the weeds just keep coming. So, during
holiday times things become just a little stretched.
We are intending to run a volunteers day each Thursday through the summer
again in an effort to keep the gardens up together. Last years scheme
was great fun, was well attended and made a big difference.
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BLOOMIN' LOVELY SPOT...............
It doesn't seem possible that it was only twelve months ago that
we were celebrating the completion of the circular path that was
to service a wildlife garden.
Today how the scene has changed, the tree are all taking a hold,
bird boxes are occupied, swathes of bluebells brighten the shadows
and most recently we have been planting snowdrops. Next year is
should be glorious.
Sometimes the days move too quickly and at others you wish the days
away.
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ALLOT OF WORK ?
Three years ago it was a wilderness and today it is a workable
piece of ground. Through the winter we have continued to trench
and dig the area to the back of the site that we have reclaimed
for vegetables. Hours have been spent on barrowing manure and now
we are planting. The potatoes are in as are the broad beans , the
lines are set for our runners and our courgettes and sweet corn
are started undercover in pots. We are expecting great things this
summer.......a splash of rain will be gratefully received.
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STOP PRESS.............Eden project say yes and our second group are off
there on a weeks work experience in June.
Royal parks also say yes and a pioneering group head there on work experience
in July.
Watch for full reports in the autumn newsletter.
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ONE SPAWN EVERY MINUTE......OR MORE LIKE EVERY SECOND
What an incredible thing nature is, it is all so clever.
Our wildlife pond was just, one big hole left to its own devices.
Allsorts of weed arrived in no time, a couple of willows seeded
on the bank, some bullrushes appeared and the wildlife moved
in.
It has been alive with activity this spring, but of all the
joys,the return of our frogs was spectacular. When the mating
season arrived frogs arrived in their droves, there were dozens
of them and the wild thrashing that occurred at dusk must
have kept the neighbours awake. More impressive than all of
the action however was the spawn it produced. Overnight almost
the pond set, a giant glutinous lump of new life. I have never
seen anything quite like it. It didn't stay of course, nature
had new plans and ducks came in an tidied away several helpings.
A good number survived though, so slugs beware.
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THE ENTERPRISE OF THE YOUNG.
Bad weather may have caused the cancellation of this years Young
Enterprise event at the Cheltenham Racecourse, but our students
were determined to have their day. Ok, so there wouldn't be a high
profile event in Cheltenham, but a year of hard work would not go
unnoticed. They would organise their own event at the garden.
And they did.....
Invitations were issued and on the day the press, local business
men and the Tewkesbury Borough Mayor (Mike Stymiak ) and his wife
all turned out to see what the students had been up to.
The day was a joy, the students were fantastic and enthusiastically
shared their work and their experiences with the visitors. At the
end of the event, the Mayor asked to have a few words. He congratulated
the team and presented them with a commemorative decanter in recognition
of their labours.
Our grateful thanks to all who turned out for the celebration.
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TUNNEL VISION
When Stroud College said that they would like to be responsible
for the maintenance of the sites polythene tunnel, they really
meant it. The early spring cropping has been terrific.
There are Peas, beans and potatoes all close to harvest and the
cabbages have been going for weeks
As quickly as space is cleared more plantings are made. It is
a real credit to them.
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COME AND JOIN THE GARDEN PARTY
One of the problems with creating something like the Butterfly garden
is that it demands constant attention. Plants need watering, lawns need
cutting, animals need feeding and the weeds just keep coming. Then of
course there's the harvesting. If we don't pick it, it wastes. So when
a project relies almost entirely on a student work force, there is an
expectation that things might just go adrift at holiday times.
This summer it was suggested that we run a weekly volunteers day. A day
when anyone interested in helping keep the place in order could just turn
up. There was no pressure, we just pushed out a few leaflets.We could
never have anticipated the response that we had to this appeal. Every
Thursday for ten weeks people just kept turning up. We had a real mix,
with students and their friends, parents and teachers all making a contribution.
There were days when as many as twelve people would be working. We kept
up with the work and continued to run the vegetable box scheme. The days
were a joy, sociable and full of fun. Real proof of the pride in our garden.
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FRUITS OF OUR LABOUR
In the five years since the Butterfly Garden was conceived, we have
spent months physically labouring to reclaim and restore derelict
areas of the site. Now nearly two acres have been brought back into
use by the students. Our most recent challenge has also proved to
be one of our toughest, with almost three months of heavy toil on
the land that historically was the site dump. It was traditional
in years gone by for business and householders to have a spot at
the bottom of the garden where the unwanted bits of everyday life
could be heaped (and we, clearly were no exception).
It isn't just the rubbish that was our history though, in the 1800's
the site was a Cider mill and the ground had been scattered with
old fruit trees.
In celebration of that history and to mark the reclamation the new
ground will be planted this autumn with traditional Gloucestershire
cider and perry fruit.
Who knows, one day we may be making our own cider.................
Watch press for details (sorry, I couldn't resist).
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COMING SOON……The cabin campaign continues and
the plans are drawn up,
new groups sign up and there may be changes in the cafe !
Watch the web !
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The roll of honour....... THANK YOU……..As usual people
continue to offer their time and support to our work, so this term a big
thanks to Eileen, Judy, Barbara, Linda, Nora, ASTAC, Deroma pots (and in
particular Neil Barnaby), Cath from Growing Success, Colin Walker, Paul
Barnes, Joe Tustin, Rich Thomas (our webmaster)and the Evans family from
Churchdown. Also to Robin from Denmark Road, Graham (from Nailsworth) and
Rob of Work Op's who have all been brilliant.and to all those who continue
to support our vegetable box scheme as well as those who keep our sales
table stocked.
Then of course there are the staff and students from GLOSCAT, Stroud college,
Milestones and Churchdown School.
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