Harvesting

This week has been really busy harvesting the last of the vegetables grown.

Penny's group did a great job picking the chillies 

Runner beans, 

Onions, 

And some of the herbs.

The new path has proved a real hit with everybody. making it possible for people to come and go as they please!

Introducing...

This has been a really interesting couple of weeks at WESC meeting new staff, volunteers and students. I have been really enthused by the skills and new ideas people are sharing. 

I would like to introduce our new volunteers...

Matthew, who is considering working within horticulture. 

Helen, a keen gardener.

And Ed, an experienced gardener at Knightshayes.

They are all dedicating half a day, once Week to help develop our WESC gardening project. I am really looking forward to getting their ideas and input on  future plans.

To start with Matthew got stuck in weeding the polytunnel.

Next we collected the last of the apples from the school site. 

The plan is to take them to a community juicing event this weekend for our students to enjoy.

Helen did a great job clearing through the pots labelling, organising and storing bulbs. We reuse the old compost as soil conditioner in the raised beds. All the pots are stored by size for washing (sterilising) at a later date.

Potted on some Buddleia Davidii seedlings, to be planted out in our woodland garden in the spring.

Ed, focused on clearing back the brambles around the apple trees. 

The plan is to give them a formative prune this year (to improve cropping and start to create the correct goblet shape). When the leaves have dropped we will lift a couple of the young ones and replant in a more accessible and sunny spot.

The Bees are settling in fine. Geoff has been to visit, they have re-orientated and are coming and going as expected.

New Path

More good news... The path into the Wesc gardening area has been successfully completed! 

This has been a big project starting with our sponsor Open Work Foundation who put forward our gardening project for funding for the first phase of development.

We started off by clearing the area. 

Lifted the slabs from the old path.

Marked out and dug the path lines, added layers of hardcore, compacted and leveled it.

Then a landscape fabric is laid and finally the rubberised material is poured. 

We have run the path from the vegetable raised beds through the wild flower meadow in to the centre of the polytunnel area, accessing the greenhouse both polytunnels, raised bed and sheds.

Finally, John finished it off by opening up the railings.

The material we have chosen is made out of recycled tyres which is shredded to look like bark chippings, coloured then mixed a with a bonding agent.

The benefits are, you do not have to do extensive groundwork so there is minimal root disturbance, the material is flexible and will move if necessary, it is easy to maintain, minimal weeding is required and it is a smooth surface for people who use wheelchairs. They also provide a 15 year guarantee, value for money!

I would like to say a big thank you to Darren and his team from Rhino Play Limited they went beyond the call of duty and did an amazing job!

Wesc Bees

Good news... we are all set and ready for our first hive of honey bees. 

This summer I have been with Exeter Beekeeping Association completing a basic beekeeping course. 

As part of the course I have been working with my Mentor Geoff, what he doesn't know about bees is not worth knowing. 

We have learnt how to build frames, and use a smoker as well as how to handle the bees.

For the last so many months Geoff has been looking after our Queen at the Exeter Apiary on Honey lane and making sure we will have a happy and healthy hive.

At Wesc we have cleared an area in the woodland garden away from the school site and polytunnels.

 Put up a stand, bark chipped, crown lifted some of the lower branches to increase the sunlight and fenced of with rope.

I visited again last week and the Hive was well stocked, the brood was evenly formed from the centre out, and a healthy colour right across the foundation.

 Geoff has assured me that they are well fed and stocked. Activity wise they are starting to slow down  for winter, which is perfect when relocating. So fingers crossed we should be harvesting our first batch of Wesc honey in the new year.

I would just like to say a big thank you to everybody at Exeter Beekeeping Association in making this possible. 

NB: I would like to organise a presentation and Q&A for all staff/ interested parties. I have spoken to Basil from the EBKA and he would happily do this. Fingers crossed this will be next month.