Operation Water Lily

Last week we cleared out the pond, then divided and repotted the water lily. How to place the lily back in the pond without getting wet? This is how we did it.

Hold tight and don't get pulled in

Down into the deep where the fishes sleep
 soon to grow again.

It's time to sow some seeds - it's March

No spruce or redwood, pine or larch!

We've cleared the pond - disturbed the fish

Return to cabin, start to wish

For better days and softer air;

The trees are budding and no longer bare

The tunnel's cover hangs around in shreds

Concealing gravel and manure in beds -

Our seedlings have an invitation plain

We're looking forward to the Green again.

                                                Keith Pettitt.

Art At The Garden Gate

Community Art Day

On the 13th march we held an art workshop run by three BA fine art students from UCA Canterbury, despite the cold weather the day was well supported with groups from Stone Bay school, Mencap and friends of the garden taking part. People had the chance to make sculptures from willow and hazel coppiced from the garden then display them around the garden. This is the first we have held and intend to hold two or three more workshops this coming year.

Many thanks to all the people who made this day so much fun.    

They say that Spring is on it's way, so here's a salute to the end of the Winter:

To write some lines concerning Garden Gate

The month is February - Winter - late.

The weather has been grey, and yet more grey

(Two periods of sun the other day).

Some herring gulls have visited the site

With daffodils responding to the light.

Occasionally a squirrel darts around

And, hanging upside down, the seeds he found.

The blue tits make a foray now and then - 

The foxes have resorted to their den.

                                                                                                    Keith Pettitt.

 The first early signs of the ending of Winter and the beginnings of Spring can be seen at the Garden now the snowdrops are out.

Elsewhere, the Daffodils are lining up ready to flower...

 And in the Dog Wood bed where they are nicely sheltered, the first couple are out already.

Garlic...

And Broad Beans are also sticking their heads above ground in preparation for a big push come Spring.

The coppicing of the woodland area has continued, leaving a lot of open space and Hazel stools ready to grow again this year.

All the timber is now being processed into bean-poles, pea-sticks, stakes and faggots. 

As usual it's nose-to-the-grindstone here at the Garden...

We're busy sharpening pencils...

Picking up sticks...

And barrowing about.

So that will be Winter then...

We arrived at the Garden on Monday to see that the snows had also arrived...

Which must have surprised the early bulbs, which were making the most of the recent mild weather.

Snow on the boughs of the trees always looks nice though.

As well as this blast of icy weather there was also a blast from the past in the arrival of our new Garden Manager; Paul Boyce.

Paul will be familiar to some of you as he was previously the Garden Manager here until 2006, and was largely responsible for building up the Garden Gate as it is today, and so we warmly welcome him back and wish him every success upon his return. 

Paul was straight to work at the top of a tree, pollarding the Willow which had become somewhat unruly...

By the time the snow had melted all the willow was down...

Leaving just the naked stubs, from which new growth will begin.

Of course, we now have a large pile of Crack-Willow to clear away, it is too brittle for weaving, but if you need any pea-sticks...

Christmas in the Garden

It's Christmas at the Garden, so here is a picture of some of our service participants out in the cold under our slightly sorry looking Christmas tree...

and then back in the nice warm cabin where we all had Christmas Dinner.

This year we roasted a large Crown Prince Pumpkin that we had stored from earlier in the year and accompanied this with what produce is still growing outside at this time of year.

Sprouting Broccoli...

and Cavallo Nero.

The Garden will be closed over the Christmas and New Year period, we'll be locking the gates at 3pm on Friday 21st December and re-opening 10am on Wednesday 2nd January.

There is not much else to report this month, but look forward to some exciting news in the New Year. Anyway, here are some seasonal pictures from Lee, Edward and David from the Mencap photographic group: