Friday 29 September 2023

Lunch club get busy thanks to Tesco!

 
Tesco donated some lovely yellow rudbeckia flowers this week so we planted them in the Memorial Garden today.
Alana also dead-headed our lovely scented roses to keep them flowering for longer.
In other news, we set out 13 boxes today and put potatoes...
onions, pumpkins & squash, beans and tomatoes...
...white and purple grapes...
...carrots
...chilli peppers and parsley! 
Staff were happy to buy the boxes to help keep the garden sustainable.  
A big thankyou to everyone who supports us by buying produce - we hope you enjoy it!




Tuesday 26 September 2023

Lots going on

 Thank you to Tesco - they have given us a garden chair
Last Friday the lunch club couldn't weed as it poured with rain, so we harvested grapes and tomatoes instead
In other news, Colin Stirling from the Royal Caledonian Horticultural Society (the "Caley")  came in to verify the folders of work that the Junior Hub pupils have been working on...
He was very impressed with all their work and they have now passed their Grow and Learn ROOTS award so well done to Kyle, Kody, Quinn and Lawrence.
Meanwhile, they have been busy clearing the growing beds, weeding and...
covering them for the winter.
This means they will be weed-free in spring ready for our next crops.
We continue to sell our produce to staff and look forward to carving one of our pumpkins for Halloween!






Wednesday 6 September 2023

Back to Work!

 

We have lots of work to do after the summer break, not least "taming the grass!"  It has been very wet so difficult to cut but at last this hot spell has allowed us to get the mower and strimmer out.
That's better!
Pupils have been busy weeding and...
...harvesting!  Staff are enjoying their weekly boxes of produce.
Other visitors are enjoying the flowers and we have been collecting seeds to sow next year too.
We discovered where rabbits are getting in - they have burrowed right under the fence, under our compost heaps and reached underneath the shed!!  So...
...we've started the big job of rabbit proofing it all.

We have  started to paint the sheds to keep them in good order.  So much to do at this time of year!
In other new, the lunch club have been trying to get on top of weeds in the Memorial Garden.  It's great to have some new members - every pair of hands makes the workload lighter!  We've also cut the grass here and mulched round the fruit trees.  Next, we'll be planting more spring bulbs for early colour in the new year!
Thank you to all those who continue to work here, even to visit and enjoy it - this special space is a unique way for Ellon Academy to remember lost pupils and staff.  It gets better steadily each year, moving towards our goal of a peaceful beautiful garden.

Thursday 1 June 2023

Certificate Celebrations and Staff Pizza lunch

 

Anyone for pizza?
Today, the senior hub boys and members of the exec. team hosted a pizza lunch for staff.


Clarissa stretched out the dough and added sauce then Dougal was in charge of veggie toppings...
...further along the line, Jacob topped them with meat and cheeses, whilst Molly kept the ovens topped up with wood pellets.
Jacob also brought in his own HOT sauce, for those who dared to try it!

The dough was made by the Gaff in Ellon and delivered to us, so a big thank-you to them.

Staff were welcomed at the gate by Harrison and Darren...
...to the Gruffalo Flash Pizzaria "where fantasy and fun come to life!"
At the end of course, the team were rewarded with pizza for themselves!
Lewis helped prepare the garden...
...thanks to the Junior hub boys too for helping get things ready beforehand...
...and the Nurture hub pupils for preparing the toppings the day before.
Jacob and Dougal tuck in...
...Darren enjoys some quiet time at the end of the day.

CERTIFICATE CELEBRATION

Our other big event last Tuesday was an afternoon of informal fun.  Mrs Russell came in to award the senior hub boys their ASDAN certificates with family members present to enjoy the occasion.
Sandy, our volunteer also awarded Sean his Grow and Learn Roots award
Thanks to Sophie and Darcy for washing down the benches beforehand...
...and the Junior Hub boys for baking the cup cakes!
Games were spread around the garden and there were refreshments for everyone to enjoy.  "Pin the tail on the bunny!"
Dougal plays skittles
Darren drew us a hopscotch...
...and everyone enjoyed watching folk play the giant jenga!


OTHER NEWS
Meanwhile in the Memorial Garden, the lunchtime "EAGerBunch" have kept on with the weeding, planting and mulching.  Scott is also our time-keeper to make sure we are not late back into class!
Sean is also becoming a dab-hand at digging up dock and thistle weeds!
Findlay and Duncan cut the grass and have been planting and watering to help plants settle in.
The tulips have looked lovely.
We have continued to catch rabbits to remove them from the garden...
...and to feed our birds.