Pergola's and pathways

WESC was really pleased to welcome a group of volunteers taking part in the NCS, National Citizen Service, which offers voluntary personal and social development for 15-17 year olds.

The weather didn't disappoint and there was plenty for the group to get their teeth into.

The plan was to create a peaceful space for a seated pergola which students and staff could enjoy. 

This has been kindly donated in memory of Darin by his family so is very special.  

They started by marking out the edges of the designated area and then clearing the ground ready to level it.

The group lifted the turf and raked the area 

They measured the area to lay the landscape fabric which will help to reduce the amount of weeding in this seating area

they then mulched the area with bark chippings

and finished it off by placing the pergola itself. Around this will be planted cotinus, viburnum, gunnera and bamboo.

The group carried out other jobs such as painting the arch 

and the posts into the wildlife garden - they had even fundraised for the paint they used!

A brilliant job, well done!

Their next job was to prepare a pebble pathway to the cold frame.  They started by marking out the path 

and then continued by lifting the turf

raking the area to level the ground

and putting the landscape fabric down and adding the pebbles.

The final job was to level off the pebbles.  

This NCS group fundraised with bucket collections for the paint for the posts and pergola along with asking at garden centre's for any plant donations.  Thank you goes to one young person who did really well with a donation from Wyevale Garden Centre at Sidmouth. 

A fabulous team - well done!

Flaming July

With the sun continuing to shine and the willingness of enthusiastic volunteers, the WESC garden continues to thrive.

We were very pleased to have a team from Exeter University offer to help tidy up and clear some of the wildlife garden.

They weeded under the trees, turned the soil and then mulched the very poor soil with tons of compost

They then helped level the ground and define the borders using branches from the silver birch which we felled

The team then planted out the borders with persicaria bistorta and alchemilla mollis - both donated by Sarah at West Hill Nurseries.  They  planted hydrangea paniculata donated by Stephanie. and also planted buddleja davidii and digitalis purpurea from seedlings which have been grown on at WESC.

Whilst work in the wildlife area was underway another group helped to rectify the damage the rabbits had done to the lavender path.  The decision was made to put chicken wire down and plant the lavender through this in order to prevent the plants from being dug up.

 

The team did a great job with this fiddly task and the lavender beds that line the path are really filling out now - thank you

Another job on the list was to site the wildlife pond



 and install a solar pump which the NCS fundraised for.  

The log bench area is a great place to sit and now with the pond attracting wildlife it just got even better.

Thanks everyone for your help.

Prince's Trust volunteers make a difference

The changes to the WESC garden have been amazing throughout this summer and thanks goes to a group of Prince's Trust volunteers who chose WESC for their community project and really got stuck in.

They took on the challenge of making a tree circle for picnicing and started by measuring the diameter around the three trees and marking out the circle.  They took up the grass just around the edge, mowed the remaining grass and weeded around the base of the trees.

The group then covered the remaining grass with cardboard which will gradually decompose, and covered the circle with bark chippings.  They then tackled the job of making up the picnic benches and treating them with a wood preserve.

The final result looks amazing- a great place to  enjoy a picnic!  Thank you

They then took on the task of painting the established vegetable boxes ready for planting.

During this time the group had also organised a fundraising event raising a substantial amount of money to go towards plants for the garden.  Again, a huge thank you from us.

It doesn't stop there though as they went away and designed and produced postcards based on their time spent at WESC which will now be sold in the WESC charity shops with all monies going back into the garden.

Fantastic!