Photo: Freddy & Poppy are joined by Nikki who is helping to design the area where we want our Nature Garden
Over six years two faces have become regular features of the community centre garden: Freddy and her rescue dog, Poppy. Freddy’s zest for life would appear to stem from an appreciation of the natural world, growing food and being outdoors, and the vast number of hours she spends tending the garden means that she has been around when visitors drop in. This watchful presence, over time, is helping the charity to make choices and decisions around how the outdoor spaces change and develop.
Building on last year’s ‘Local Places for Nature’ award from Keep Wales Tidy and Sustainable Drainage Wales – and with a lot of help from friends – we’re slowly transforming the former playgrounds into a greener, more inviting multi-purpose space. This will take time and money, so we are appealing to local artists and craftspeople to work alongside us now to develop ideas together, and create an inspiring place that reflects the interests and skills of local people.
On the top playground, the focus is on two raised beds that are dedicated ‘NO DIG’ beds and Freddy attends an online training course that’s been kindly donated by Cherry Taylor who teaches the importance of nurturing the ecosystem that is Soil. We have enlisted help from neighbours too, who have taken seedlings home for growing on, following the forced removal of the greenhouse due to damaging winds. Each year we try to grow a little more produce for sharing and this year you can watch our progress with the No Dig beds, and ask questions.
*We’re pleased to report the greenhouse has been resettled in town and is doing well.
The next few months are busy ones for the Centre with new activities afoot, planned works unfolding, and as we prepare for a cautious return to welcoming people back. [ Update: We’re opening 17th May ]
