End of grant period - beginning of new garden

This Breathing Places project came to a close at the end of May 2008 but is really just the exciting beginning of developing this area as a community wildlife garden. The garden appeared on BBC SpringWatch on June 11th and more people are now visiting and using the library and garden. Here is a photo of someone enjoying a quiet read under the Silver Birch tree.

More activities are planned during the summer and there will be the results of the Giant Sunflower growing competition, so if you entered make sure you take a photo of your sunflower and send it with the measurements to Dawley library during the week beginning Monday 21st July. The winner will be announced on Tuesday 29th July.

Planting annuals

9 children and adults helped to plant some colourful annuals as part of our half term activity. The Rainbow border is really taking shape now and it will be lovely to see the colours develop into the summer. We also had interest from 3 people in volunteering to help with the ongoing maintenance of the garden.

Anyone else who is interested in becoming a gardening volunteer should contact Kate or Liz at Dawley Library on 01952 382901.

Half term activity Friday 30th May 2008 10.30am-12noon

Come around the world with us this half term on a voyage of adventure. Stories and poems from other lands for children aged 5-11 and their parents/carers.

See how our garden is growing and also help to plant the rainbow walk with some more colourful plants.

If you are interested in volunteering to help look after and maintain the new garden then do call in and have a chat with the staff.

Open day 9th May 2008

Around 100 people attended the launch and enjoyed tours of the garden, meeting the designer and other people involved in creating it. Brightly coloured ribbons and balloons were hung from the pergola posts and following the welcome speeches, Cllr Kuldip Sahota, newly elelcted Chair of Great Dawley Parish Council, cut the ribbon and declared the garden officially open.

In his speech Cllr Denis Allen, Cabinet member for Community Services, said that the garden "provides Dawley with a wonderful tranquil setting that the community can use for relaxation, storytelling and other activities. This is an innovative project that has given local people the chance to have their input into an original project for all the community to enjoy."

Under a large gazebo in the centre of the lawn, children from three local schools (Ladygrove, Dawley C of E and Captain Webb) helped community artist, Natalie Toplass, to create a large tree mural using their handprints. Some of the winning poems from our poetry competition were also incorporated on the mural as well as painted on the posts of the pergola.

Radio Shropshire also joined us, as well as a film crew from BBC Springwatch who are producing a series of short clips about lottery funded projects for their forthcoming series.

Open day Friday 9th May

Local residents are welcome to come along to our open day on Friday 9th May 2008 10.30am - 1.00pm. Meet the designer, enjoy a tour of the garden, take part in creating a tree mural and find out about volunteering opportunites to help maintain the garden. Refreshments provided. Welcome speeches at 11.00am.

Planting the garden

14 volunteers from the Green Gym worked hard again in April planting up the woodland, storytelling and sensory areas. Plants include foxgloves, bugle, flowering currant, buddleia, pyracantha, thyme, oregano, honeysuckle and jasmine. The volunteers also made some homes for ladybirds and lacewings out of bamboo sticks.

An update on the garden and our most recent event

The Green Gym were busy again in March, putting in benches, trellis, pergola arches, a bird table and seats in the storytelling area. There was a fantastic turnout and everyone worked extremely hard, and it looks brilliant! Planting will begin on 9th April.

Our own seed planting and garden trail event was very popular with 21 children attending, aged between 3-11 years. It began with stories about plants and sunflowers in our newly created storytelling corner of the garden, before planting 'Russian Giant' sunflower seeds to grow on at home. There will be a prize in the summer for whoever grows the tallest sunflower.

Parents and children then took part in our garden trail, finding the answers to questions about the folklore of plants that will feature in the garden. Someone also spotted a blue tit who was making a nest in one of the 3 nest boxes in the Silver Birch tree.

We received some lovely comments about the garden and the event. Click on the Comments link in the previous entry to read them.