Hi everyone, just thought we’d share a bit about what we’ve been up to recently.
Well, the sun has come out which has made our urban garden on Mount Street an even more pleasant place to be. Work is still ongoing though the seed sowing and planting has gone well, and everything is looking lovely and green, take a look at this little infant sweet chestnut that was donated to us, thanks a lot Pete.
And Adam is doing a supreme job painting the wall to make the space even more alive. Here’s a sneek peek:
We will always welcome and be grateful for any donations so if you have anything going spare – bird baths, bulbs or anything botanic – please get in touch.
The garden project was launched in response to the increasing pressure on local authorities to maintain areas of land around the town in the face of Central Government budget cuts, and to inspire people to take ownership of the urban environment around them. Fruit, vegetables and herbs have been planted with the intention of encouraging people to think about where food comes from, how it ends up at the dinner table and with the intention of encouraging people to make a go of it in their own gardens or on their own windowsills. People are encouraged, when the time is right, to cultivate and harvest the plants. Perhaps potatoes for a Sunday roast or just a few sprigs of rosemary to season the chicken, but as it is for everyone, leave it as you found it.
We’ve been working with the Wrexham branch of Friends of the Earth who are using part of the space to create a bee, butterfly and pollinator friendly wild flower habitat. Bees are a familiar sight in our gardens and countryside, but did you know that they are vital for production of many staple foods? As pollinators, they are crucial to the cropping of a large number of fruits and vegetables. The dramatic and worrying decline in bees, butterflies and other pollinators recently has no single cause, however habitat loss plays a part and wildflower areas can provide a vital food supply and refuge. The impact on us could be devastating too – it is estimated that it would cost UK farmers £1.8 billion a year to pollinate crops if bees didn’t do the work for us, leading to further rises in food costs. Find out more on the ‘Bee Cause’ and how you can contribute, by clicking here
Friends of the Earth Wrexham coordinator, Matt Evans said,
“The urban garden is a great idea. The good news is that everybody can be part of it and join in to help make Wrexham a more sustainable and bee friendly town.”
The Friends of the Earth Wrexham group meets regularly to work on environmental projects. To be involved or find out more contact Matt Evans on foewrexham@yahoo.co.uk. Keep up to date at www.facebook.com/FOEwxm.
Friends of the Earth supplied us with seeds for our seed bombs too. Here they are inside our vender, and as you can see they’re nearly all gone! Which is great news, better on the ground than in a machine. All money raised will go towards Friends of The Earth Wrexam and the development of the garden.
Can’t wait to tell you more about it in the coming weeks and we’ll have some more interesting news of a different variety for you soon, keep ’em peeled
