A home for Wildlife

ASDAN and S2 classes have been busy making bug boxes and collecting sticks, straw etc to fill their large bug hotel.

We assembled some kits from Kew Gardens also to attract insects into.

Half the roof is felted; the other half has been made into a planter for a "green roof"...

...which has now been planted with sedums and some wild flowers.

We've also sown seeds (poppies and foxglove) to plant out into the wildlife area in spring.  We mowed and raked the grass with a view to creating "bald patches" to plant perennial wild flowers into.

In other news, we tried planting bulbs but to no avail!  The ground is just too compacted, so we have resorted to pots instead, and lifted some turf to put crocus bulbs onto the bare earth and cover with compost.

The Ellon Resource Centre Group continue to care for the garden every Monday - wonderful to have folk here regularly to look after things! :)

Rake rake rake! Plant and build!

We have been busy mowing the grass which means there are lots of cuttings to collect!

Both classes, the community group and EAGer bunch have helped.  Rakes and trugs at the ready!

We are putting some in the compost heaps and some on top of our wildlife piles to form a "thatch" roof.

On Friday we also started (TRYING) to plant spring bulbs!  The ground is very compacted which makes it difficult to get the bulb planters deep enough!

We are starting with daffodils.  This week, we hope to take delivery of 1000 crocus bulbs from Ellon Rotary so they will keep us busy!!

Pupils have also been sowing seeds - practicing first with the density...

...before sowing foxglove and poppy seeds in trays.

Other big news is that we have started building a path.  This is the "before" photo...

...during...

...and after!  Still much more to go, but it's looking great so far!

Also, the shed has had a good rearrangement and tidy so there is room to sit round the tables properly.

Back to school - thank you to our Volunteers!

We are now back at school and the garden has been well looked after throughout the summer holidays.

The poly-tunnel is looking great!  Folk from the Ellon Resource Centre have planted out tomatoes, nasturtiums, peas, strawberries among other things.  They have laid weed barrier which makes a good path up the middle and...

 ...potted up lots of plants that would otherwise have died!

Our RIDAN cupboard has also been painted so is now weather proof - just needs the door!  Other jobs have included looking after the potato bags and starting to harvest them, mowing and raking the grass and of course the always-needed watering of plants!

The barrels have filled out nicely and the flowers are attracting lots of bees and other insects.

Everyone enjoyed their visits so much, they are going to keep coming to the garden every week which is fantastic news - this means we have a good selection of different people keen to work hard to continue to build our garden.  Thank You so much!!