In December we had our first real frosts of the winter and had our last gardening task of the year, clearing tender plants such as Nasturtiums and Achocha. We've left the dry skeletons of our herbaceous perennials and climbers as a winter hiding place for insects, such as clusters of 7-Spot Ladybirds.
The surfaces of the raised beds are covered in leaves, which will prevent nutrients from being leached out of the soil. We've now allocated each of the beds to local families, to give those without a garden of their own space to grow vegetables.
And so, the garden is resting for the winter, though it is still open to the public every day and evergreens, dried seedheads and the occasional flower provide continuing interest.
The end of the year is a time for reflection and so we've put together a brief video of the creation of the garden as a summary of what we've achieved so far. It is amazing that a year ago the garden was still a building site and, before that, an area of rough tarmac.
We wish you all a Happy New Year.
For more information on the garden see our website and Facebook page.
Jeremy Bartlett.
http://www.grapeshillcommunitygarden.org/
Film by Jeremy Bartlett, featuring photos by Jeremy Bartlett, Vanna Bartlett and Jo Rice.
Music - "Urban Oasis" by Dave Sturgess.
11 years ago
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