It's that magical time of year when every fresh day brings new surprises in the garden... The first sharp purple spikes of Iris reticulata emerging from the earth, the sunny yellow crocuses suddenly opening and becoming visiable on a warm, springlike day... and a few days ago, the first of our tiny wild daffodils flowering in the orchard! I don't know why each and every little flower seems like such a surprise - after all, I bought and set out most of these bulbs! But somehow after the long, grey months of winter, these little jewels stop you in your tracks.
But, I digress... as the spring and summer approaches, we begin to gear up to receive the public in our garden. We're hoping to expand our team of volunteers this season. We're looking for people for two basic roles. Firstly the garden team, who meet once a week to help with the ongoing maintenance of the garden, as well as some other tasks, involving basic carpentry or conservation-orientated work. And secondly, the Welcome team – friendly faces to welcome visitors and tell the story of the garden, and perhaps occasionally help with events in the garden.
So, if you’re reasonably local and would like to know more, then why not come along to our Volunteers’ Open Day on Sunday 11th March? I and some of our existing volunteers will be in the garden between 11 and 4, chatting to prospective volunteers about what we do, so you can come and find out more. We have a great time here, and for me, working with the volunteers is one my favourite parts of my job... Friendly faces, banter, laughter, sunshine and getting stuck in – what more could you want from a day’s work?
Hope to see you there!