Dear reader,
Have you seen your first daffodil of the year yet? Spring is certainly in the air, and we’re delighted to share our programme of Spring workshops with you 🌼 We’ve got everything from microgreens and soil fertility to floral gifts and spring wreath making.
Plus we’ve launched our guided heritage tour dates from March to October – see the bottom of this email for tickets, and book quickly because they tend to full up!
Not only will you have a fabulous day out at the beautiful St Ann’s Allotments, but the proceeds from these events go towards helping ensure we can keep our projects open for community benefit throughout the year.
We hope to see you soon!
Best wishes,
Holly
PS. If you’d like to receive news like this in your inbox each month, join our mailing list here.
Spring workshops
Spring hardy hanging baskets
Saturday 12 March, 10:00-12:00, £35
Create a lovely, large, moss-lined basket, full of colourful flowers, mini shrubs and gorgeous Spring bulbs.
Planning your edible garden
Saturday 12 March, 13:00-15:00, £25
Learn the basics of crop rotation, what to plant where and why.
Foraging walk
Saturday 26 March, 10:00-12:00, £25
Gather food for free by learning about and collecting food from hedgerows and gardens.
Grow salads for all seasons
Saturday 26 March, 10:00-12:00, £25
Learn good practice with seed sowing, from sprouts to microgreens to salads.
Make your own floral gifts
Saturday 2 April, 10:00-12:00, £35
Work with a range of seasonal plants and flowers to make a hand-tied bouquet and a small planter to take home or give to a friend or loved one.
Spring wreath making
Saturday 9 April, 10:00-12:00, £30
Use a blend of fresh, dried and faux foliage and flowers to create a lovely Spring wreath to adorn your door.
Grow with us: What to do in the veg plot in Spring
Saturday 9 April, 13:00-15:00, £25
Learn about seed sowing, hardening off, soil prep and taste some refreshing spring tonics.
Floral expert immersion day
Saturday 28 May, 10:00-16:00, £80
Experience the absolute joy of flower arranging at its very best. Uncover useful floristry techniques and create three stunning displays to take home.
Garden essentials 1: Compost and soil fertility
Saturday 28 May, 10:00-12:00, £25
Bring along a jar of soil from home to test, and learn how to improve your soil fertility with homemade liquid plant feeds and green manure.
On the Orchard
Come and visit the Community Orchard, which has a beautiful display of snowdrops at the moment!
Community Open Day, Saturday 26 March, 12:00-15:00
New Shoots for ages 0-4, every Tuesday 09:30-11:00 in term time
After School for age 8-12, every Wednesday 15:45-17:00
Volunteering
Anyone is welcome to join our volunteer sessions:
Tuesdays at the Nursery, 10:00-14:00
Wednesdays at Oliver’s, 10:00-14:00
Tree special! Tree planting and winter ID, Saturday 12 March 10:00-14:00
Springtime in Urban Nature, Saturday 26 March 10:00-14:00
Suitable for all abilities and levels of experience, tools provided. Just dress for the weather! 🌦️
If you have any questions about volunteering, please contact Lucy at volunteering@staa-allotments.org.uk
On the blog
Last month on the blog, Paul follows up his blog about manure with a history of soil on the Hungerhills, and Holly teaches you how to identify five species of birds by sound in winter. Read all about it: https://staa-allotments.org.uk/news
If you’d like to write a blog, get in touch at info@staa-allotments.org.uk
“Now all perfection of culture is reached on the Hunger Hills – a piece of poor, comparatively worthless, sandy soil, that a few years ago would not have paid for labour or seed. It would do the farmers as well as the gardeners of Britain good to spend a day amid these gardens. If anyone wants to know what the earth will bring forth when man feeds it well, attends it lovingly and skilfully, let him go to the Hunger Hills around Nottingham – mark, learn, and inwardly digest the full purport of all he sees and hears there. He will be sure of a hearty welcome from the enthusiastic horticulturists that he will find there swarming like bees…”
Nottinghamshire Guardian, 4 August 1871
New tours announced
We’ve also launched our tours programme that runs twice per month o the second Saturday and last Wednesday until October.
The guided walk begins at the Visitor’s Centre and takes you on a 90-minute tour around the oldest and largest detached Victorian pleasure garden in the world, stopping at features of importance and interest during its 700-year history. We’ll share the story of how the allotments started, their use as Victorian pleasure gardens, and how the site is used today.
St Ann’s Allotments are Grade 2* Listed by Historic England, and designated an Area of Importance for Nature Conservation.
Book now – limited spaces available.
