Grow Greener with Garthdee Field Allotments Association

Category: Events Page 27 of 34

Community Sunday Thanks

StuartI’d like to say a big thank you to all who turned up at the weekend to make our first Community Sunday of the year such a great success.  We think we had a record high turnout and managed to get a whole bunch of tasks completed.  By the end of the session the site was looking great and some essential maintenance got completed to the Bothy roof.

CommunitySundayAdThanks to the enthusiasm and efforts of all those who were able to come along we have made a super start to the 2016 season.  If you could not make it this time I hope you will be able to come along to our next Community Sunday which is planned for 20 March.

The plan stays the same – about an hour or so of activities suitable for all ages and stages followed by coffee, cake and a good natter.  What’s not to like!

RHSA Up-coming Events

Wendy Suttar has been in touch about some of the Royal Horticultural Society Aberdeen events.

The Annual Quiz Night is set for Friday 19th February at 7 for 7.30pm in Newhills Church Hall, Bucksburn.  The questions are half horticultural and half general knowledge, so bring your friends along – you are all welcome! Make up your own team of four, or come along and join others to make up a team on the night if you prefer.  There is a trophy for the winning team!

The cost is £5 per head including stovies or an alternative vegetarian meal. Please ensure names are given to Hazel Main by 12th February either by email to hmain [at] tinyworld.co.uk or telephone 01224 781171 (just leave a message).  If you want a vegetarian meal tell Hazel then, or we will not be able to provide it for you as we are not in an hotel this year.

Also don’t forget the Spring Show in the Winter Gardens in Duthie Park on 19th & 20th March.

Anyone fancy making up a GFAA table for the Quiz?

Primary Plans 2016

After a successful meeting with Diane Rough, Depute Head from Kaimhill Primary this week, we have confirmed that another series of pupil visits will take place this year. Last year we hosted Primary 2/3 visits to our site.  I think we can say a good time was had by all!

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We hope to start earlier this year, in April rather than June and we plan one or two visits a week over a 10 week period.  Details are yet to be confirmed, but we hope two Primary 3 classes will visit to look after the new Primary School Plot being developed down by the Community Orchard, taking alternative weeks.  Stuart is in charge of getting the plot ready for use and Vinny has agreed to maintain it.

In addition Primary 6 pupils will be building bird boxes and Bug Houses which we hope they will come on site to distribute to interested plotters.  Other classes may come to follow some of the learning trails we developed and supported last year.  All visits are planned for afternoons on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays.

We need to say a big thank you to Aberdeen Greenspace who have agreed to fund this collaboration over the next 12 months.  Without their support the development of the new plot as part of our ‘outdoor classroom’ would not have been possible.

Last season Stuart, Norman, Gill and Jacqui hosted all the sessions. In the coming year we will be pushed to meet all of the demand. If any plotters or volunteers could offer to help out for an hour or so on any days they would be most welcome.  See any of the above if you can help.

Bulb Planting

Our bulb planting team on Sunday last spanned at least three generations and made short work of planting 1000 daffodils and 500 crocuses.

DSC00420DSC00418DSC00419DSC00416Thanks to Helen, Heather, Ruth, Karen, Bruce, Keith, Michael and Norman for their efforts on the day. We all agreed it was great fun being outdoors on a fine winter’s day, but retreating to the bothy for fancy pieces, hot drinks and a good natter was even better.

DSC00421Thanks too, to Marion, Jacqui and Helen for the fancy bakes that put Mr Kipling well into the shade.

There are still some crocus bulbs left in the bothy. Please fee free to plant them in or around your own plots.

It’s Your Neighbourhood Success

I am delighted to report that following our IYN assessment last month GFAA has achieved an Outstanding level assessment.  Gill and Norman attended the Keep Scotland Beautiful Awards Ceremony in October to receive our certificate.

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Sincere thanks go to all plotters for keeping their own plots in excellent order this year, to the growing band of Community Sunday participants, our volunteers, collaborators and partners and to all those individuals who helped around the communal areas of the site and so contributed to this superb result.

 

Soggy Sunday

Today’s Community Sunday was perhaps the wettest on record, but the team stuck valiantly to their tasks of raking leaves from the orchard and filling some of the new potholes before retiring to the Bothy for well deserved coffee and cake.

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Thanks to Alex and Stuart for doing the honours with the photos and to Marion for sharing her excellent birthday cake!

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There is no December date set, but we are expecting to take delivery of 2000 bulbs from the Council, so do watch out for an announcement about their allocation for planting.

Page 27 of 34

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