Welcome to the SRT blog No. 101
20th May 2022 – Welcome to our blog post No. 101
Last week we had a visit from Arit Anderson – Gardeners World presenter, garden designer and writer. Do you recognise her from the tv? She accepted our open invitation to visit Sunnyside after she saw us at Hampton Court last year with the garden for Tom Stuart-Smith and she grew up in Hemel Hempstead!
Arit spent 6 hours with us and we chatted over a cuppa and cake (a beautiful edible flower decorated carrot cake made by Aly – Thank you so much) and toured Hemel Food Garden. Then onto The Orchard Project over at Serge Hill, Bedmond – Tom & Sue Stuart-Smiths garden and plant library and over to Northchurch where we took the wildlife walk around the site, seeing the animals, the wildlife pond….. and she bought a veg box. She popped back to Hemel Food Garden to pick up her car and couldn’t resist buying a selection of herbs to go with her other Sunnyside produce.
She loved what we do and left us with lots of contacts that she knows of and has worked with and has put us in touch with other like-minded, peat free growers to help promote what we do with all our plants.
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Hemel Food Garden have been growing, delivering. measuring and now planting out Jubilee bedding plants for union flags in Kings Langley. Looking great!
Summer bedding hanging baskets created by the trainees for a contract order.
Tending the pallet garden and enjoying it afterwards.
The orchard spaces’ weekly mow.
The donated chickens are settling in nicely and are put away each evening after free ranging in their canal run.
Can you guess the fruits forming in their orchard?
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The Activity Centre made the most of the good weather yesterday with lawnmower and strimmer training. This included trainees such as Noreen, Luka and Lweis who regularly use the machinery helping les experienced trainees so that they can all use the equipment safely. Training are Tim, Mark, Annette and Charlotte a student at AC.
Ian, Noreen, Mark, Michael, Annette, Tim & Charlotte after completing the regular horticultural maintenance outside contract at Coombe Gardens in Berkhamsted.
Sophia and Michael H collecting wood chip and then mulching around the lavender walkway planted last year. Annette & Lesley.
Michael H & Roxy
Clare potting up jam. The first punnet of strawberries from the polytunnel
Yesterdays market stall with the Jubilee theme and picnic hamper ideas. Adhar and Suvi were out there with a table of veg plants and herbs.
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The lambs away for the evening at Northchurch – a noisy pair when they are on the move. Sam had been following them around and now he’s ‘knackered’
Those perennial irises have popped open – what a beautiful colour.
This weeks craft session involved making cement stepping stones and decorating with glass pebbles.
Hah spotted a high flier!
Digging a duck pond in the chicken area. A start anyway.
Ian & Hollie weeding between the broad bens which are just getting the first bean pods on them. Chloe with a Vegbox order on it’s way to the shop.
Outside contract work. Look at that moody cloud sky above.
When you have an itch in the wrong place and there isn’t a trainee around to help you out…….
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Some of the HFG trainees attended a housing workshop recently, run by HCC social workers to identify what people want from housing. These pictures are some of the creations from the workshop. They say it all.
And if you can please take the time to comment on the Two Waters consultation with Dacorum Borough Council. It will make such a difference if Sunnyside Hemel Food Garden is highlighted as a local service.
Please also share with friends and family
TWO WATERS CONSULTATION by Dacorum Borough Council
Sunnyside is a local asset in the local community of Two Waters.
This is a large piece of work being undertaken again by the Council, which they have decided to communicate via a piece of Tech that is detailed, interesting and allows you to put forward your point of view on the surrounding area and specifically on what Sunnyside brings to Two Waters and the local community.
Via this link https://twowaters.commonplace.is/ have your say….
From the home page scroll down past the map to Get Involved and to the ‘Have Your Say’ box on the left-hand side. As you hover over the dot above Two Waters text and enlarge Sunnyside will pop up. Click on ‘read more’ and on the left a side bar/window opens where you can be interactive and tick / add comments on various topics.
A BIG Sunnyside thank you.
Closing May 31st but please don’t wait.
Have a great weekend….
…until next week.