All change. Part 2.........

As predicted the fence between the school garden and the new build was completed within two days.  The view from the bird hide is now very different and although the border looks stark  gardens are always evolving and changing  and before long we will have something new to wonder at. Already native Rowan, Crab Apple and Bird Cherry trees have been planted which will quickly reduce visual impact and provide cover for the birds.

The weekend working party achieved much with the help of the good, if not bitter cold, weather. The main project was to install the reed screen which will hide the compost bins.  Our good friends from Abbotsbury Swannery kindly delivered 12 bundles of cut reed for us and the screen works well.

Now you see them....

Now you don't.....

Several tidying and repainting jobs were done. The bird hide has had a refreshing new coat of paint.

The refreshed bird hide

The high point of the weekend though was the completion and installation of the Aeolion Wind Organ.  This has taken a while to prepare and get right but now it stands alongside the entrance path as you walk up the garden.  More about this later!

With the temperatures set to rise next week ( a little at least) we can start to look out for frogspawn and the turning point that Spring  is on the way

All change!!

Things are moving very quickly along the border of the school garden and the new build next door.  The change has been sudden and perhaps  a bit of a shock but we should always look forward.  There is an old Cherokee Indian saying " Do not let yesterday take up too much of today".  The new fence boundary will give us a chance to redesign that part of the garden. 

In the above pictures the old mesh fence still hangs on by a thread but once the old wooden fence behind was removed the weight of the ivy and the rogue saplings from the sycamores took their toll on the mesh fence.

The contractors have now  kindly removed the fence for us and for a brief spell the area has been opened up before the new boundary fence is installed

By the end of the week the new fence will be in situ. Today the new fence posts have been installed and the next blog will almost certainly depict the new fence and probably the gate between the two properties.

Despite the rain yesterday it did clear to give the garden volunteers a brief chance for some work.  In very wet conditions underfoot the posts were sledge-hammered in ready for the reed screen which will surround the compost bins.

As the daylight faded and the rain returned a rainbow appeared in the sky

On February 21st and 22nd during half-term there will be working parties in the garden to repair the damages of the Winter and get things ready for Spring and the new year.  Do come along. Please contact the School office for details.

The Daffodil Dance

The Daffodil Dance

Early one spring,
purely by chance,
I happened to witness
the daffodils dance.
They stopped as I neared them,
and stole me a glance,
But soon carried on
with their daffodil dance.
In bright yellow tophats
and splendid green pants,
They all knew the steps
of the daffodil dance.
A fancy fandango
with hints of romance –
A whimsical, wonderful
daffodil dance!
In all the years since,
I’ve met many fine plants,
But none dance as well
as the daffodils dance.

This poem is by Deborah Diesen- it really does sum up the lovely movements of daffodil heads as they move in the breeze.  Our daffodils are looking splendid now

Further signs of Spring approaching has been this female Blue Tit exploring the nest box

Careful observation reveals that the bird has a ring on the left leg which means that it been caught in the school garden over the winter months and managed to survive the ravages of the weather. Let us hope that this year they manage to bring off young birds as last year the cold wet Spring meant that the chicks perished in the nest.

An archive photograph next! Taken on April 19th 2012.

..and below the almost finished product taken today

We are looking forward  to working with our new neighbour and the chance for us to 'redesign' our boundary. We now have a 'clean slate' -  very old school terminology -and the chance for new wildlife friendly planting of native trees and shrubs.