Way back on the 5th June 2008 Jamie (now our current Warden), Pete (still a valued volunteer) and Gerry (our Education Officer amongst other things at the time!) were busy building the raised beds in the fledgling Wildlife Garden.
As you can see the building was a lot brighter in its youthful phase and the planting around the edges of the garden had not even begun - oh and there was no Stone Pine in that small green circle!
Just over a year old in July 2009
Fast forward 14 years and the garden is a mature refuge used by visitors, school children and wildlife alike. However most things made of timber have a finite life and the four raised beds are at the end of theirs. Fortunately a very kind donation of some fine timber by the late Phil Street’s family and friends has given us the opportunity to start again.
Last week the work party got to grips with the difficult task of removing all the old rotten timbers and carefully digging out the well established herbs from the most decrepit of the four beds. They even managed to dig up the 2m high Walnut tree that had grown from a Squirrel planted nut and move it to the entrance road where hopefully it will flourish. The plants were kept on a big sheet and the soil piled up to be reused. They then set about laying in some new foundation boards using some of our recycled plastic boards while the old wood was piled up along the back edge of the garden in a giant hibernaculum!
With the groundworks done it was the turn of the Young Wardens today, appropriately under the guidance of Jamie and Pete to put in the wooden sides, move all the soil back around and replant the Mints, Marjorams, Horehounds and Forget-me nots.
It was quite amazing what they achieved today! One down and three to go!