Growing, weeding, "burning"

Hiya again
Summer is taking its course; the rain and warmth have pushed everything: vegetables, flowers, weeds.
Each rainfall uncovers more rubbish; yet another builders bag is filling up fast.
The butterbur along the burn is growing riotously, as are cleavers and balm. The weeds are also growing inside the concrete bed of the burn. With intense rainfall looming, they will slow the flow of the water and may cause flooding again.Kids from the neighbourhood -- definitely NOT the children from the islands who stay at the Glencruitten Hostel -- have been throwing loads of rubbish and plant material into the burn. Some of us from the garden group will have to work really hard to rake and fork it all out again to make sure the debris does not choke up the low passage under the footbridge......whose left bank is being undermined by the onslaught of water -- something will have to be done about this sooner rather than later:
But not all is doom and gloom: the sweet peas are looking spectacular just now.Notices about biochar, Scottish Orchards and EM Bokashi have been posted on the fence and are attracting lots of attention.

New Greenspace Survey results: What do people think of green spaces in Scotland?

Hiya again – For this post I am indebted to SURF, the independent regeneration network for Scotland.

23/07/2009 – A new Greenspace Scotland survey shows that people think urban green spaces across Scotland are getting better, and that they are increasingly turning to their local spaces for recreation and exercise.

A report published this month reveals that nearly two-thirds (63%) of Scots use their local green spaces for recreation and exercise each week, and that people think urban greenspaces across Scotland are getting better.

The report, based on a survey commissioned by Greenspace Scotland, also shows that most people think green spaces are very important to their local area, and believe that green spaces should act as places for play, physical activity, relaxation and seeing nature. However, in common with previous Greenspace Scotland surveys, the findings show a continuing gap between expectations about green space and the reality of local spaces. When asked about what would increase their use of green space, many people reported problems with maintenance or lack of facilities.

For more details, please click here or here.

Easdale Community Garden on TV1's Beechgrove Garden

Hiya again
Most of you will have heard that BBC TV1's Beechgrove Garden programme recently aired its episode about the new Community Garden at Easdale, Isle of Seil. It contains lots of useful information about gardening on the Scottish West Coast, as well as tips on sustainable methods and products: heat sinks, path "slabs" from recycled material, etc. etc.

If you haven't seen it or if you missed the programme, you still have a chance until Wednesday, 15th July 2009. A click on the title of this post will take you to the BBC page, where your blogger found the following information:

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In this episode, the whole production team cross the Atlantic...

The Atlantic bridge that is, just South of Oban, to help with the final stages of a community garden that's being created around the new community hall on the stunning slate island of Seil.

The 600-strong community have already raised money for, and designed and built, their own new community hall. The builders left all the rubble from the old hall all around the new one. Added to that, the proposed site of the community's new garden was the old dumping ground for the slate on its way from quarry to ferry; there is no soil there at all. The new garden is being built out of rubble and slate, and sits abut 50 metres from the ocean's edge. Not much of a challenge there, then!

Jim, Carole, George and Carolyn are on the island to help in the final stages of the community garden, but to also see some of the extraordinary and surprising gardens and gardeners on Seil.

The community gardens are gardens created by the community for the community with a little help from Beechgrove. The Beechgrove Community Garden Initiative has helped over 170 community gardens be created the length and breadth of Scotland since 1996.

Broadcast on: BBC One, 7:30pm Wednesday 8th July 2009

Duration: 30 minutes

Available until: 7:59pm Wednesday 15th July 2009

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Enjoy!

Things are growing and (almost) ready to harvest

Sweet peas and dark-blue lobelia grow along the tall fence on Dalintart Lane

Welcome back!
Things have been growing apace -- both desirables and less desirables...
Here are a few images to hopefully please your eyes, and to document the hard work that Graham has been putting in, planting, weeding, harvesting...

Graham manually eradicating cleavers

Sweet peas, fennel, herbs
Sugar snaps ripen under protective netting
Nasturtiums and potatoes
In the woodland part, fruit pods of a calla-like plant that should ripen into red berries (will try to keep you posted)

Sadly, lack of funding has held back development work on the top end of the garden. Seating and visually satisfying objects have been planned for that part.

A lone white aster, donated anonymously

Among other things, drainage coils need putting into the ground before anything more can be done. However, we're hoping to be able to progress things further soon.

Top end of the garden, looking rather bare

Enjoy the summer, and come back soon for more images and information on progress.