Wednesday 7 June 2017

Wider Achievement Program - Three days of garden building!

For three days from Wednesday 31st May to Friday the 2nd June, pupils and staff worked tirelessly in the garden as part of the Wider Achievement Program (WAP).  We made wonderful progress with many jobs completed.

DAY1

Both the shed and a cold frame were treated.

The weed barrier was lifted in our wildlife area...

...
and the dying grass covered with topsoil

The two "Ross"es then sowed a wild flower mix and watered it in.
The hose pipe was set up to fill all the water butts and whilst it was in the garden, all the plants got a good drink!

Ross then topped up all the potato bags...

...whilst others started shifting the last of the pile of topsoil

Abbie and Kaci made loads of paper pots...

..whilst others helped fix a raised bed into place for more topsoil.

We used long screws to secure it to posts in the ground.

During the afternoon, they made another raised bed from 3 by 2 inch timbers.

Saw, hammer and nails allowed us to create this.

Jamie helps to assemble the pieces

Earlier in the week, Euan laid the foundations for the long path adjacent to the polytunnel to be started.

He also built several cold frames...

...using sterling board

He was not deterred by a rain storm, he set up in the shed to finish it

Dr Cruickshank and his team made great progress with the path on day 1

Meanwhile, Mrs Mair and her group planted up two half barrels.

At the end of the day, Ellon Timber delivered a bulk bag of sand and more timber to keep us going!

DAY 2

Mrs Murray and Jamie started the day weeding the fruit bushes

Then three of them started to fix bird netting onto the outside of the fruit cage.

Mrs Russell, Mrs Dilworth and Mrs Davidson pitched in with Callum and others to continue shifting topsoil into the new raised bed.

Mrs Cudak organised Ross and Ross to plant up ALL the hanging baskets - well done you three; amazing work!

They added water retaining gel into the compost and watered the plants in.

A team of boys took it in turns to work with Miss Swallow preparing the ground for more slabs...

...and wheel-barrowing sand and slabs to the site.

At lunchtime, Ross sanded an old bench to start restoring it and Euan continued to build cold frames.

In the afternoon, Mrs Russell commandeered helpers to clear the compound of sawdust for the RIDAN to tidy the place up.

Thank you everyone for a hard day's work!

DAY 3

Mrs Murray started the day with two boys building another raised bed :)

Mr Richardson's WAP group created a variety of artworks for the garden.  Here, colourful flowers for the fence...

...and a totem pole to brighten the bean wigwam

Shifting topsoil was a continuing theme through the three days!

Mrs Cudak and Ross sow flower seeds into the paper pots and salad seeds into beds both outside and in the polytunnel

Ross helps Mrs Russell set up for a BBQ later.

After break, everyone came together to open the box with the brand new "pop up gazebo" inside.

We worked as a team to erect it...

..."one, two...

...three!"

Then we decided we'd jumped the gun!  We took it down to put the roof canvas on first...

...then hoisted it up again.

Ta-da!  Keiran photographed the whole process!


Everyone went in to wash their hands for lunch.  We were given extra cakes cooked by yet another Ross - thanks!

Everyone enjoyed the BBQ.  We picked our own lettuce, herbs and chilli peppers to make the salad :)

Michael arrived just in time for food!

Burgers and sausages...

then chocolate melted inside bananas - mmmm!

We had another delivery of art work from Mr Richardson's WAP group - thank you guys!  They will look great around the garden.

A third day of hard work - well done and thank you to all.

SUMMARY of some of the jobs:

Wild flower area sown

Fruit cage netting attached

Crops weeded

Pot men oversee everything!

Potatoes earthed up

Shed treated and half-barrels planted up

New plant labels painted...

...and others written






















Paving, paving and more paving!


Bench rubbed down ready to varnish












Hanging baskets planted up

Topsoil pile shifted...

...into newly constructed and fixed raised beds

Arty adornments delivered from other WAP pupils :)

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