Dear friend,
Spring is in sight! The evenings are slowly getting lighter and the sun is rising just that little bit earlier.
We look forward to the return of our Play, Grow and Eat session this half term, plus the increase of our youth provision through regular sessions every 2nd and 4th Saturday on the Orchard for young people.
Did you manage to see any birds over the RSPB Big Garden Birdwatch weekend? On our volunteer session we recorded a total of 10 species in the count, including a Jay, Goldcrest and Blue Tit, plus a Buzzard and Song Thrush that flew over our projects.
As you may have seen on our socials last month, Lucy celebrated 10 years as an employee at STAA! On the link at the bottom of this newsletter, Lucy has written us a short blog on her time here so far. A huge huge thank you to Lucy for everything she has done, and continues to do for STAA.
P.S. If you’d like to receive news like this in your inbox each month, join our mailing list here.
Best wishes,
Kayleigh
Feedback Week
Last week we held our first feedback week of the year with the theme of Access to Green Spaces.
Our feedback weeks happen quarterly, with a different theme each time where we get the chance to chat with you on site about your thoughts.
- All of you feel safe on our projects with 61% feeling completely at home when you visit us.
- 100% of you agree that being in our spaces improve your wellbeing either a lot or partially.
- 62% of you admit that the weather does impact whether you venture out into green spaces but most of the time you brave it anyway! With 38% not being affected by the weather and make sure they get out no matter what!
We also recognise that The Heritage Display Garden (‘Oliver’s’) is the hardest of all four projects to access and this can be a barrier to those that may want to visit the site. We hear you and we are looking for ways to make access easier for all visitors of this incredible part of Nottingham’s history.
The feedback you give us helps us improve our service and meet our funder requirements, so thank you all very much for your support and comments.
Upcoming Workshops
Why not purchase a gift card for our workshops, so you can share our horticultural, floristry and seasonal crafts experiences with friends and family.
Planning your Cut Flower Garden
Saturday 10th February 10.00 – 12.30 – £25
We will share with you the simple secrets behind our cut flower garden so you can successfully grow beautiful cut flowers for yourself and to gift to your friends and family.
Fruit Tree Pruning
Saturday 10th February 13.30 – 16.00 – £30
Come along for a masterclass in all aspects of tree care including how to rejuvenate old trees and formatively prune new trees to achieve the perfect crop.
Make Your Own Spring Hardy Hanging Basket
Saturday 24th February 10.00 – 12.30 – £40
Come along and create a lovely, large, moss lined basket full of hardy colourful flowers, mini shrubs and gorgeous Spring bulbs to brighten up your garden.
Planning Your Edible Garden
Saturday 24th February 13.30 – 16.00 – £25
A full rundown of what to plant where, and why. Learn how to plan your rotation and about the right materials to feed the soil to save time and tragedy in the future.
Spring Wreath Making
Saturday 9th March 10:00 – 12:30 – £42
Learn how to use a blend of fresh foliage along with dried and faux flowers to create a lovely Spring wreath to adorn your door.
Make a Willow Obelisk for Climbing Plants
Saturday 9th March 13:30 – 16:00 – £35
You’ll make your own obelisk to be used for growing sweet peas, runner beans or other climbing plants using the traditional art of willow weaving.
Learn How to Compost and Improve Soil Fertility
Saturday 13th April 10:00 – 12:30 – £25
Bring a jar of your own soil along to test, investigate and learn about a variety of techniques to improve your soil.
Planting Your Cut Flower Garden
Saturday 13th April 13:30 – 16:00 – £25
We will be planting and sowing our annual flower seeds, discussing cutting and conditioning techniques for maximum flower power, and talking you through the steps to get your garden blooming all summer long.
On the Orchard
The Community Orchard runs free events for all ages.
New Shoots, every Tuesday in term time, 09:30-11:00
Community Open Day, Saturday 24th February 12:00-15:00. Click here, to book your free ticket!
Play, Grow & Eat, Wednesday 14th February 11:00 – 14:00
Pancake Party!, Tuesday 13th February 13:30 – 15:30.
Youth Sessions, Tuesday 13th February & Thursday 15th February 13:30 – 15:00.
These sessions are for local young people of St Ann’s to spend time on the Orchard, learning and crafting. For more information and to book: contact Sarah at sarah@staa-allotments.org.uk.
Volunteering & Social Gardening
There are plenty of opportunities to join us maintain our beautiful open spaces, as well as tour volunteer opportunities to help us with our guided tours on the last Wednesday of the month.
Please do get in touch with me at kayleigh@staa-allotments.org.uk for further information.
Tuesdays at the Nursery, 10:00-14:00
Digging, sowing, pruning, clearing, building, watering, harvesting! All things food and flower focused for a productive garden.
Wednesdays at Oliver’s, 10:00-14:00
Help maintain a beautiful display garden for visitors to enjoy, and promote its heritage features.
Our Social Gardening sessions will run alongside our usual volunteer sessions, giving you the perfect opportunity to come and enjoy the the beautiful spaces, see our volunteer projects and have a go if you wish!
Volunteer inductions:
Saturday 10th February 14.00 – 16.00
Wednesday 24th February 10:00 – 12:00
This is an introductory session for anyone interested in volunteering at STAA. Receive a tour of our projects to find out what you might be interested in, and an opportunity to meet people and ask questions.
If you have any questions about volunteering or social gardening, please contact Lucy at volunteer@staa-allotments.org.uk or visit our volunteer page.
Guided Tours
Now the weather is brightening up, our Guided Heritage tours are back!
We lead walks around St Ann’s Allotments on the last Wednesday of every month, 1:30-3pm. The 1.3-mile guided tour takes you to our Heritage Display Garden and Nursery, telling the 700-year story of how this 32-acre site changed from pasture and orchards, to Victorian pleasure gardens, to working-class allotments. Including stories of people who lived here and the grassroots campaign to save the site from redevelopment.
For more information and to book, click here.
On the BlogThis month on the blog, Lucy reflects on her 10 years of employment with STAA! Read all about it here ! |
