HOT TIMES.
What an incredible summer, a real test to our gardeners, but an
amazing time nevertheless. We have been so busy and there is a great
deal to report, so much of the news will be offered as snippets
this time. If an item does tease you and you need to know more,
then please e-mail us for details or the extended editorial.
THE WILDLIFE WALK.
In the last issue of the newsletter, we reported on the 'fund raising
phone box vigil' in support of our wildlife garden. The exercise
raised over £2,500.00 and saw us with enough money to install
our pathway. At two metres wide, it snakes over 200 metres in an
elongated figure of eight and affords full access to the area. At
the end of April, with support from the Gloucestershire Community
Foundation we set about planting the patch. The plants were maintained
through the summer and now we really do look as though we have a
wildlife garden.
PLAYGROUP PATCH
Amongst those committing to the wildlife garden this year are The
Reddings Playgroup. They have adopted a space, planted a tree and
summer flowers, and are about to start their autumn tidying. It's
a real joy to see them and I suspect the relationship, (judging
by the early works) is set to last.
THE ART CLASSES Whilst we hear from around the district, news of shrinking funding
and closing provision we continue to expand our service. On Wednesday
afternoons we are now running a therapeutic arts and craft session.
Led by local art teacher Brenda Marshall the classes are organised
to offer accessible art for all. This new group will be exploring
painting and drawing as well as felt making, glass work, tapestry
and much more. The sessions start at 12.30 pm and new members are
welcome.
THE PLOT THICKENED……as the new allotment went
in to service.
There's all kinds of veg we've grown with old Reg,
This year in the butterfly garden,
We've practised our craft and often have laughed
Out loud in the butterfly garden
There's been carrots and beetroot, and big onions too,
With tall chinese spinach which is fairly new,
One asparagus spear and Okra that's queer
And beans in the butterfly garden.
There was lettuce and marrows and courgettes as well,
And lively spring onions that made your breath smell
the garlic was strong and added to the pong
That hung in the butterfly garden.
We also grew tomatoes, radishes, peppers
and cabbages……but you needn't sing that bit.
Reg was certain that this
disguise would fool the birds if they returned.
Our booklet is available at just £1.95 or for just £2.40
if you would like it posted.
Call 01452 - 713124 to order a copy.
VEGETABLE BOX WINNER
This project, started last autumn has been a great success and the students
take real pride in the pack quality and its presentation. We are still
needing to buy in some vegetables to guarantee continuity of service,
but our customers all agree that at just £3.00 the boxes are great
value. The boxes are prepared for collection every Thursday and will always
contain at least five good items, including each week potatoes, carrots
and a green vegetable. Some weeks we have been making up to 60 units.
Just call or e-mail if you fancy giving the scheme a try.
The students have weighed and counted to achieve a standard
valuation. Each pack generally contains Potatoes, Carrots,
Onions, Apples and one green vegetable. The orders are assembled
on Thursdays and are available for collection from the Centre
in the afternoon.
Our hope is that given time slightly more complex orders will
be handled and that our own produce will feature prominently.
Early response to the service has been terrific.
If you are interested in supporting this scheme, then please
register your order online or on 01452-713124. You will be
impressed !
Orders by Wednesday teatime please !
BARKING OR WHAT ?
The garden's intrepid fund raisers, Barbara, Judy and Linda were at it
again this summer and their Open Dog Show, held at Longlevens Rugby club
in August generated more money and interest for our work
The weather held up, the competitors and visitors turned out in their
droves and news of the Butterfly spread to a new audience. It is amazing
how the news passes on and several enquiries came on the back of their
event.
THE OAK
The age old adage about mighty Oaks and acorns was applied this
spring to our Wildlife garden. It was decided that the emerging
plot needed a punctuation mark, a declaration of our commitment
to the garden and its future. So, we brought in a mature Oak tree
It took eight of us in a rugby scrum to drive the trolley onto the
ground and after much groaning and heaving the tree eventually came
upright in a hole one metre deep and one metre across. We nursed
it through the summer and today it stands majestic over all, taunting
the smaller trees into catching up.
WELL BEE HIVED
This year our classroom has continued to buzz……with the sound
of bees. The working hive, which has glass walls and was set up by the
county beekeepers has been a real favourite with students. The hive is
vented through the classroom wall, allowing bees to go about their business
without disrupting the class. Next year we are planning on having a full
hive outside.
COME AND JOIN US……..This summer has been great for visitors
and over the last weeks we've welcomed Work experience students from Japan,
the members of the MENCAP Social club, Hatherley Road Day Centre, groups
from the Reintegration service as well as the Work Opportunities programme.
The doors are always open and we warmly welcome any interested individual
or group to just drop in. We also welcome your ideas and feedback, if
the garden is to be serviceable it needs to be regularly tweaked and we
want the gaps in our provision highlighted.
WHISPERS IN THE GARDEN.
We've learned this year that sensory gardening is not just about
plants and surfaces. The garden has been gifted two rather special
pieces of sensory equipment. We have a plant that Moos, (very loudly
it must be said and for quite a long time when anyone happens to
touch it) and a rather sophisticated intercom system. It actually
puts me in mind of a telegraph that we ran as kids, using two cans
and a strained length of string but our system is much better. The
layout comprises two brightly coloured steel daffodils. These stand
about 20 metres apart and are hidden from each other. They are linked
by a buried pipe. A mere whisper into either trumpet is easily detected
by anyone close to the other station. Both items are great fun and
hugely popular with the students.
EDEN DELIGHT
We are particularly keen to see our students gaining real world
experience and without doubt the highpoint of our year was to take
a group on work experience to the Eden project in Cornwall. The
group stayed at a Youth hostel for the week and had an amazing time.
It was clear when we turned up for our first day of work that there
was some cautiousness, but it didn't last for long. Our party was
swept off to the staff canteen and after a quick drink, we were
thrown in at the deep end. We weeded the Californian desert, planted
ferns on the sides of a tropical waterfall and set out ginger and
beans in a Malaysian garden. It was a memorable outing for all of
us. Without doubt though the most exciting thing to report is that
Eden too recorded the visit as a success. We were the pioneers of
something very special, our students laid the foundation and we
have been invited to return.
DECLARATION OF TRUST.
Earlier in the summer, the garden received a cheque from an organisation
called CAF. The money was apparently being gifted to us by a third party.
On presenting the cheque at the bank, we were advised of a need to contact
them. The Charities aid foundation is a vehicle available to individuals
or companies enabling them to donate money to charities in a tax efficient
way and I'd never heard of them. Before releasing any payment they wanted
to check out our credentials and prove our legitimacy. I am delighted
to report that all of our paperwork was in order. They are a very professional
body and a very helpful contact.
Their statement declares them as 'committed to effective giving', that
giving has had a great affect on our work.
ROBIN IN THE UNDERGROWTH…
Low fuel consumption, environmentally friendly, altogether
very green and our Churchdown students made a great job of
it.
THE CATTLE ARE LOWING.
Eighteen months ago, there was a scar, where once there had
been a wilderness, then came the grass seed that bought new
life and colour. In the spring the patch that we wanted to
call a pasture came into its own and as we moved towards summer
the cattle moved in.. Five young bullocks, loved, pampered
and so well tended by everyone. They have brought real joy
and once you've been licked life can never be the same.
THE MAYOR'S TALE.
What a good guy the former Mayor of Tewkesbury Borough turned out
to be.
I had been promising one of my student groups that the local Mayor,
Councillor Paul Ockleton would be dropping in to take a look at
their work. This particular group, who were from GLOSCAT were nearing
the end of their course and I wanted to acknowledge their dedication,
so I contacted the Mayors secretary. An appointment was made and
the Mayor called in. The visit caused great excitement, one student
reporting that we had been 'visited by the President'. The joy was
compounded however when Councillor Ockleton landed on us quite unexpectedly
a couple of weeks later in his ermines and sporting a pair of wellies.
You're a good sport Paul and we really do thank you for making a
difference.
THE GARDENS FOR LIFE VISITORS
Over the last two years we have been forging links with schools
in India and Kenya. The Gardens for Life project involves the
sharing of gardening experiences with children across the globe.
We regularly receive news from our sister schools and this summer
had a group of teachers visit us for a barbeque. The socialising
carried on long into the evening and friendships were made. Together
we are sharing a dream that one day we will actually find a way
for our students to meet.
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.
TURNING THE TABLES.
The mobile garden tables that we featured two years ago in this
newsletter have been invaluable.
They have served as tables, as potting benches and this year as
complete gardens. We had another two built in the spring (taking
our rolling stock to four) and the displays in them have been spectacular.
With the summer displays now over students from Stroud college have
been busy replanting for winter.
BOXING DAY………
Students from Churchdown Schools work related study
group have been working on a recycling programme with John Walker
(a local fruit and vegetable wholesaler). They have been converting
polystyrene boxes used for packing into grow boxes. They have
had great results too.
COMING SOON……
The cabin campaign continues, recycling issues feature, new groups sign
up and the next work experience is negotiated.
Watch the web !
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 (and in particular Paul
Hinchcliffe), Colin Saunders, Colin Walker, Severn Sound, The Gloucestershire
Community Foundation, Paul Barnes, Geoff Saxon, Joe Tustin, Rich Thomas
(our webmaster),Danny Keene. Also to Phil, Steve 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.
Registered charity
no. 1133233
"The flap of a butterfly wing in America
can cause an earthquake in China" - The Butterfly Effect
The Butterfly Garden is supported
by a group of volunteers and is of charitable purpose.
We are a member of THRIVE the horticultural therapy charity.
If you want to know more about our work or feel like offering some help
or telephone 01452-713068.
