Archive for the ‘Gardening’ Category

While the residents are not making much use of the garden we (well actually Dave Skinner) are doing some groundwork. We are extending the car parking area and putting a gate in from the car park to the garden so residents can easily go out for a stroll from the garden, and Dave is laying new soil pipes in preparation for some more en-suites next year. He is also  laying new paths so we can construct a raised vegetable bed. Our vegetable growing has been very popular over the past couple of years but some of our resident find it hard to get to the vegetable garden and work in it. The new raised beds will be close to the terrace and have wheelchair access.  Being raised will help a number of our resident who find it hard to bend down. We are on a bit of a deadline to get it all ready for when the Beacon School pupils come back in spring to grow vegetables with the residents.

We are having some landscaping done in the gardens to make more space for sports and relaxation, and so that we can move the vegetable garden nearer the terrace. We hired a man with a digger and he has already graded the ground around our Atlantic Cedar tree which is now revealed in all its glory. The tree will make a lovely spot to sit under on a hot summers day.

The next job is to dig over the area where we want to move the vegetable garden to this winter, once all the vegetables have been harvested. The digger man didn’t turn up today (Bank Holiday I guess) so we took the opportunity to have a look at it. Doreen, who is for up anything, agreed to pose on the digger while Brian (a true engineer) inspected the machinery. If only we could get the key…

Renee and Ruth have been picking and collecting apples from our rather overgrown apple tree for a few weeks now. Most go into the fruit basket but this week there have just been so many that we decided to cook with them. Renee Eileen and Ruth sat down to peel, core, and slice the apples, and Chris used them for some very tasty apple strudel.

Our Mulberry tree is full of delicious mulberries but the tree is so tall we are not sure how to pick them. A little challenge for next year I think…

Our vegetable harvest has started and the residents have been harvesting broad beans, runner beans, and lettuces. Not sure who is going to dig up the potatoes…

How time flies! Today was the last of our regular landshare days when a group of pupils from the Beacon School came to grow vegetables and flowers with the residents. It has been a tremendously enjoyable and beneficial experience for our residents (and i believe for the children!). The residents are taking a great interest in the work of the children and a pattern has emerged where the residents do seeding and potting up, and the pupils do the rest. And what a great job they have done, just have a look!

Today they built a bean-pole ‘wigwam’ and planted bean plants, they raked seedbeds and sowed four vegetables, cleared out the chicken run, harvested the endive in the raised beds and sowed salad vegetables. Ah and they harvested rhubard for the rhubarb crumble, and collected eggs from the hen house.

Did it put smiles on faces ? You bet it did!

Spot the fresh eggs!