• Please note: no work on the garden will start until repair of the church roof is complete.
Notes from the Presbytery Garden Meeting: 1 April 2025
Attendance:
Felicity Todd- Chair
Mary Kirk
Sylvia Weal
Mary Ward
Pete Johnson
Lily Lewis
Alison Shirreff
Lorna Collins
Julia Sadleir
Aida Shaw
Helen Kirby
Ellen Fleming
Katy Wakely (notes as not present)
Objective:
To establish the use of each part of the presbytery gardens and the priorities for the voluntary working parties this month, April 2025.
The volunteer group will try and follow Thursday and Saturday attendance, however people can contribute when they have their own time throughout the calendar.
Ensure the schoolchildren currently involved in the after-school gardening ‘earthwake’ project continue their participation in the parish group gardening development.
Support from town sources to assist with equipment and donations.
Felicity pointed out some of the priorities: –
- Fence off an area for Fr Simon’s dog, ensuring dog fouling control
- Compost area for children ensuring we clear areas ready for their planting
- Composting areas establish in its historical positions, end of garden near the recycling bins and back gate.
- Security key lock for the back shed, giving access to anyone needing garden equipment (many volunteers will bring and use their own).
- Clearing of each of the garden spaces to continue. The children in the after school club have done a fantastic job.
Garden one: this area to be leveled and cleared and prepared for grass seeding enabling mainly grass to mowed. Felicity has a lawnmower that may be useful to start, also other parishioners to volunteer a rotavator if and when required. The children to have their own compost equipment learning how to do this and interest with creatures of the garden (Ellen to provide a separate composter for them).
Garden Two: formal garden to be restored in the shaping already in place. Front left side of garden to be used for church flower beds to provide flowers throughout the year. Aida and Lily will start preparation on the beds on 4/4/25. Volunteers can progress the second two beds on the opposite side, along with the tree pruning of fruit trees desperately needed. (apple, quince and pear).
The large side area in the formal garden to be used for wild flowers. Alison and Lorna also suggested that the school children might add the bee homes, wormer houses in this area?
Helen has a contact for bees which may result in a beehive for the garden?
The Pond will need to be checked for leaks and cleaned, the pump tested to oxygenate the pond area, possibly cover with chicken wire for the safety of the children using the garden, also preserve the wildlife (fish that may be added later).
Garden Three: outside the main kitchen area, Pete will fence off the area for Bentley.
This area again to be cleared and eventually may have raised beds for some vegetable growing, some parishioners expressed interest and this may evolve once area is clear and tidy for development.
All composting to be moved to the dedicated area near the garden bins. Grass cutting to clear this area , and eventually to patio for best use.
Garden Four: the pathway for this to be cleared and cleaned of bird droppings. The garden area to be cleared before any decision for planting. This area may eventually have herbs planted? Some of the area used for woodland planting suitable for the area.
Ellen to visit Clays Factory: – asking for their support for their pallet donations. (This would complete the compost bins for the end of the garden.)
Ellen has asked Emmaus for their support for the development of the church gardens, tand hey will comeback with availability.
*The ground area will be tidied throughout as volunteers visit when they can, either on Thursday or Saturdays whichever suits their timetable.
Disabled access is possible and can be improved only with investment. Katy Wakely will help where she can if access allows
Sylvia asked if any areas could be used for fund raising, this could be in the large area (garden one possibly) until an event is tried we could add to the other parts of the garden as they are cleared (?meaning). Perhaps there is a need for an Event Calendar’ to support the funding and future needs of the garden area – this could be expanded at the next meeting?
Fr Simon to think about long-term use of garden and car parking areas. Feedback at next meeting.