Most of our efforts in the last 3 months have been in the upkeep of the existing areas we look after and preparing for plant sales to boost our funds. After several rounds of splitting and potting up plants from our own gardens, and donations of plants from others in the village, we were left with a huge selection of over 200 plants – a record and a veritable garden centre, as can be seen below. This was ready for the plant sale at David Moreton’s house (Chevin Brae) as part of his National Garden Scheme open garden on 26th March.
Plants ready for sale on 26th March
Open garden Chevin Brae 26th March
This was a great success, at 108 visitors, and the plant stall made £197, one of our best ever totals. Sadly, as a bitter counterpoint to this, on the same evening vandals attacked our community orchard closest to the weir in Hopping Mill Meadow, destroying all the supporting posts, snapping off tree branches and worst of all, snapping two of the trees in two.
Snapped fruit tree Hopping Mill Meadow orchard
We sawed down the posts and re-erected them, and in a vain attempt to save the trees, the two snapped ones were bound together with electric tape. To our very pleasant surprise, this surgery appears to have worked – the apple tree looks to have been revived completely, and the pear tree is at least alive. Having heard the news about the vandalism Belper Town Council very kindly have given us the funds to replace the pear, and the new tree has arrived.
Emergency surgery undertaken on fruit trees
Rejuvenated apple tree
New pear from Belper Town Council
Our bulb and spring flower plantings over the past 13 years are really beginning to make a difference now, as the pictures of them in bloom from February – April this year below show.
Spring Garden early March 2022
Spring Garden late April 2022
Spring Garden early March 2022
End of flats garden, Hopping Mill Meadow, March 2022
Strutt Arms verge on A6 March 2022
The Triangle early March 2022
The Triangle late March 2022
Children’s Play Area planter Feb 2022
Children’s Play Area planter March 2022
Chilrden’s Play Area March 2022
Children’s Play Area February 2022
Over the past three months we have had several work parties tidying both our Spring Garden and The Triangle. The pictures below are from the most recent work party tidying The Triangle, on the 2nd May.
Finally, after 3 years of absence due to Covid, the school fair is returning as part of the Milford May Day celebrations on the 7th May, and our traditional plant stall will be there outside the front of the school, opening at 3pm. Stocks have been replenished from the 26th March sale, so come along to pick up some quality plants at just £2 each, and support our work in the village in the process. The picture below shows the plants ready to be transported to the school.
