Author Archives: GHCG

Beds, Buds and the Bishopston Bale House

March 27, 2015

We have -at last!- a name for our beautiful strawbale building…. The Bishopston Bale House, or just the Bale House to friends (maybe even Baley!).  Yes I know I said we’d put it to the vote but we had so many suggestions and had dithered for so long that we ignored the full democratic process and went with this. Snappy, informative, and easy to say  (and yours for just £10 an hour!)   

 

 

​

We’ll be having the Big Grand Opening at our Big Spring Fair Saturday May 9th. Expect ribbon cutting, cake, morris dancing, plants for sale, brass band music, pizza, a human jukebox, kids stuff galore and a chance to celebrate and appreciate all the hard work and love it took to build (and carry on building – thanks Pete and Bob! and thanks Garlic Tony for our fab poster) 

 
Also we’ve gotten our muddy hands on some Green Capital money to build a new raised bed area for volunteers without gardens to take on individually. We’ll be building a couple at a workshop 10am-1pm Saturday 11th April.  It’ll be a lovely and relaxed morning and a great place to pick up some basic wood working skills.  Spread the the word. It’s only a fiver! – including lunch!! Bargain!!! (thanks Green Capital and the Neighbourhood Partnership!)

 
 
And we’ve had a great term at Golden Buds- the new wheel barrows went down a storm, the sun shone and we even had the fire wok out for toasting snacks.  The morning group is full for next term but we’ve gotspace in the afternoon group 1:30-3, so get in touch (and thanks to Lindsey, Nikki, Pauline, Caroline, Christopher, Joe and co who sing, dig, dip, and keep everyone safe). 

 

  

 
We’re all ready for the Golden Adventure days starting next week – and if you’d like to volunteer for a day or games, pizza cooking and general silliness in the garden Tuesday 31st or Tuesday 7th then get in touch.  It’s a castaway theme, we’ve got loads of kids coming along and we’d love some more hands on deck.
  
And in the midst of all this spring has sprung and the Wednesday volunteers have had their noses to the grindstones planting, planting, planting soooooo many seeds and the polytunnels are filling up nicely (thanks Sue!).  It’s a great time to come and get involved.  Especially if you like planting seeds.
 
See you in the garden
 
Lucy
​

​p.s erm …. also it’d be great if you could like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter (@ghcgarden), sharing our posters online helps us reach loads more people, get more people involved and is Good For the Garden

 

Golden Adventure – Easter castaways

March 6, 2015

Ahoy there! Calling all 5-12 year olds looking for a spring time adventure!

2014-04-08 14.38.56

Hop aboard the Good Ship Golden Hill with Captain Clare and the Able Seabadger, but uh-oh … hope we don’t get shipwrecked and washed up on Garden Island. We’d have to build shelters, forage for pizza, hunt for treasure and try not to get eaten by sharks!  Eeeek!! 
 
Places are already filling up and are limited to just 16.  I’ve attached the forms below but give me a quick ring/text/email to check our availability. Tuesday 31st March and Tuesday 7th April 10am-4pm £25 including pizza and snacks. 
 
Looking forward to seeing your castaways in the garden for maps, obstacle courses, frogs and general silliness, 
 
Lucy

 

Spring News from the Garden!

February 26, 2015

Hi everyone

 
YAY! Spring’s here!  It’s official and if you’re in ANY doubt pop in to the garden and stand by the pond. Take a moment to listen and be calmed by the gentle chorus of croaks and splashes from the frogs in the pond. Yup they’re back, and there’s LOADS of them! Here’s a couple enjoying a piggyback.
 
2015-02-25 14.49.37

 

​More new beginnings with our new afternoon toddler group, every Tues 1:30-3!  It was great to welcome even more parents and more toddlers to the garden.  We’ve been running for a full year now and it’s been great fun and I’m massively grateful to the fab volunteers who make it happen. I should mention that one of the our biggest achievements is not losing the two little plastic men out of our diggers. Incredible!

 
2015-02-24 10.33.30
 And new season, new name – we’re still looking for a new name for our beloved straw bale building. Thanks for the great suggestions including the White House, the Straw House, the Eco Snug, the Cottage, Bailey, the Bale House etc… Let me know if you can think of any more and we’ll put it to the vote with the next email.
 
News flash! We’ll be running the Golden Adventure days in the Tuesdays in the Easter holidays (31st March, 7th April 10am-4pm)  but 5-12 year olds can expect more garden based mayhem, imagination stretching games, a giant badger and pizza. £25 booking essential!  We haven’t decided on a theme yet but here’s a picture to show whatever elaborate fun me and Clare dream up sometimes the best times are had when you spontaneously spend the afternoon in and out a bin.
in a bin compressed

 

 

 
So things barrel on, the days get warmer and longer, green shoots appear in pots, new faces arrive in the garden and we’re all geared up for our fourth growing season, come get involved! The only cloud on the horizon is a local ginger and white cat has started climbing on our polytunnel for fun.  Claws + plastic = potential disaster!!
 
See you in the garden.
 
Lucy  
 

Birthday Bonfire! This Saturday 11-2! And pizza!!

February 6, 2015

dinosaur cake
Hi everyone and happy birthday to us!
 
3 Glorious years!  Here’s some stats….
Folks who’ve come together and volunteered to help make the garden so fab =447
People who’ve come along for visits/tours/pond dipping trips = 584
Number of school children who’ve fallen in the pond = 4 (arf arf)
Folks attending our 9 community events = 3015
Number of community events without biting winds or rain = only 2!
Average number of volunteers in a garden on a biting cold January Wednesday =20
Number of gorgeous strawbale buildings built = Just 1 but it’s a corker!!
Number of solar powered water pump allotment based water recycling systems in the UK =- 1!  And it’s ours!
 
Sooooo we’d love it if you came and celebrate with us this Saturday 7th Feb 11-2 , we’d love to see you if you’ve not been able to make it down in a while and we’d love to meet you if you’re coming for the first time.
 
They’ll be a bonfire, the pizza frog will be fired up and we’ll provide dough and sauce if you bring toppings!  They’ll be some gardening to do or we can suit around chatting and eating cake (any and all cake donations welcomed). We’ll have the stove on in the straw bale build to stay cosy and they’ll be tours for folks who’d like to learn more about the garden.  Everyone welcome!.
 
See you in the garden!
 
Lucy
 
​

 

January 19, 2015

Hi everyone

It’s getting a bit late for a happy new year about how about, er.. happy new growing season!
2015-01-13 08.40.08

​

Nothing shouts “C’ mon growing season, we’re ready for yer!” quite like a spanking new floor and a spick and span polytunnel, so this week Sue and Sohpie got busy putting in sweet peas.   We’ve also got an amazing new finish to the floor in the almost-very- nearly-finished strawbale building (hats off to Pete, Bob, and Dougie!) .  My photo didn’t do justice to it’s glory so you’ll have to come and have a look…
2015-01-14 09.38.49
And when better to pop in and say hello than our…. 3rd birthday bonfire! 7th Feb 11-2. There will be cake, and gardening, and we might even fire Mr Fruggles and pizza frog! By the by it’s becoming a bit of an effort to keep saying STRAWBALE BUILDING is anyone can come up with a better/snappier name for this magnificent structure I’d be very grateful… or else it’s going to be know as the SBB. Can anyone do better….?

​

Another exciting announcement is we’re launching a new Golden Buds toddler group 24th Feb 1:30-3pm.  £5 a session, £2.50 for extra siblings and under 12 month babies come for free.  We take bookings by the term and booking is essential.  Get in touch if you know a small person who likes digging, playing, singing, watering, crafting, eating, looking for newts and it is up for some adventures in the garden and hasn’t got a nap booked in then! And if you’d like to come along and volunteer and at these lovely sessions then get in touch as soon as possible because I think we will be fully booked.
poster spring 2015
Oh and though it’s ancient history now the wonderful hardy folk who turned out for carols on a wet, windy and wild night last month. Thanks to all 126 of you we raised over £200 and enjoyed one of our biggest bonfires yet! Thanks for everyone that helped!
Lucy
Lucy Mitchell

Community Project Worker
The Golden Hill Community Garden: Horfield’s Accessible Allotment and Edible Forest
07506 905 394

Come sing by the fire! Wednesday 17th 6-7:30!

December 16, 2014

Hi everyone

It’s tomorrow!  The carols are tomorrow! The bonfire is built, the song sheets are printed and the marshmallows are ready to go! Wednesday 6-7:30. Wrap up warm, bring a torch and tell everyone you know.  Let’s gather round the fire and lift raise our voices up to the stars!
carols poster 2014

It’s also chance to get your hands on one of our fab calendars (great gift idea!) or a beautiful wreath made like the ones made by the lovely attendees at our wreath making workshop
2014-12-06 12.34.36 2014-12-06 12.43.35
And we’d LOVE some help tomorrow night so if you can spare 45 mins to help serve hot spicy apple juice to the happy punters then pleasepleaseplease let me know!
AND in other news we have some spaces on the Golden Buds toddler group for next term but only 2 spots so hurry at get in touch as soon as possible.
See you in the garden!
Lucy
​
​
 

Lucy Mitchell

Community Project Worker
The Golden Hill Community Garden: Horfield’s Accessible Allotment and Edible Forest
07506 905 394

Winter wonderfulness

November 28, 2014

Hi everyone

There’s lots of great stuff happening at the moment and loads coming up next month!  Firstly rest assured the garden does not close in the winter!  No way! we layer up, get the wellies on and busy ourselves weeding, harvesting, building and do lots of drinking tea round the fire in the strawbale building.  Though even we get beaten by the darkening afternoons so Dec/Jan opening is 10am-3pm.  And we will be closed Christmas eve and New Year’s eve.
So week we’ll be starting to get festive with our wreath making workshop
willow wreath making 2014

Tell your friends and find us on Facebook and share the photo there.  Last year it was a great day, fun and friendly and everyone left with a gorgeous wreath or two!  And just £10 which is the price of a manky wreath from B&Q! No need to book, come along before 3pm, wrap up warm, bring secateurs if you have them, children welcome.  There may even be mince pies!  Bring along any exciting greenery you might have.
Next week we’ll also be making merry at the Glos Rd central Christmas party Thurs 14th 5:30-8:30 we’ll have a stall outside Room 212 and will be chatting, selling wreaths and this years ‘must have’ gift (a Golden Hill Community Garden calendar!). They’ll be a chance to win a box of our lovely veg including massive wibbly marina di choggia squash and homegrown sweet potato! Come say hello!
2014-11-12 14.27.06wibbling squash

​

Then …Come one! come all! To our fabulous carols in the garden festive Christmassy Solstish celebration Weds 17th December 6:30.  What could be nicer then supping on soup and hot spicy apple juice and singing under the stars round a gurt big bonfire?? There’ll be live music accompaniment, delicious cakes, roasted chestnuts, toasting marshmallow and you guys!  Please bring torches and wrap up for the weather.  We’d love some help on the night! Get in touch and here’s the  poster tell ALL your friends and family and get them along it’ll be lovely
!carols poster 2014

​
Social Saturdays are still happening – get in touch to confirm times and dates.

​See you in the garden!!
Lucy

Bonfire and info about Social Saturdays

November 6, 2014

This Saturday 6-7:30 it’s our bonfire night and we’ll be burning the beautiful bonfire that Bob, Pete and Dougie have built with love, skill and all the manky bits of wood and old sheds that breed on allotment sites.   Please come and feast on soup made with our garden veg (4 varities! and we’ll try not to run out as fast as normal but we can’t promise anything!). Come and ‘oooh’ and ‘aaah’ over the straw bale building – now with new cute temporary steps and a glorious ceiling!  Put on all your layers, bring your friends, toast marshmallows in the frog and warm up round our fire!
nighttime biscuits compressedmarshmallows compressed

Any and all donations of cake and some such are very gratefully receivedand also we’ll be in the garden from 2pm this Saturday chopping and chatting and making soup etc.

fireworks compressed
Which brings me to this announcement from the lovely Katja about our once a month Saturdays are transforming into social Saturdays …we are now open EVERY WEEK from 15th Nov.
 “Meet at Golden Hill Community Garden every Saturday from 11am for harvesting, weeding, watering the plants in the polytunnel, chatting, laughing, playing a board game or what ever makes us healthy and happy. There are many people who know the garden well to help when you are new. These day are run by volunteers so please if you plan to come, get in touch beforehand I can give you my phone number to make sure someone lets you in.”
In other news the madly mild autumn has helped us carry on harvesting loads of lovely veg like this…
20141029_143156_resized
And the lovely sunny half term meant the monsters, zombies etc that came and enjoyed the halloween horrible Golden Adventure day in capered around all day in shirt sleeves. Good times!
imageimage (4)
See you in the garden (in the dark!)

Lucy Mitchell

Community Project Worker
The Golden Hill Community Garden: Horfield’s Accessible Allotment and Edible Forest
07506 905 394

Dates for your calendar and a calendar for your dates!

October 14, 2014

So the golden summer is finally over… now is the time for soup, the time to get warm round the wood burner in the (nearly finished) strawbale building, the time to make like a Golden Bud, pop on a waterproof onesie and jump in the nearest puddle!

2014-10-14 11.03.58

So summer was amazing. What next??? All sorts!! Get your pens out, here come the dates…
Tuesday 28th November it’s the spooky Golden Adventure day for 6-12 year old’s. Wholesome yet horrible, ghastly yet golden! Still some spaces left so get in touch!
Oct 28th Activity day 2014

 ​
Then Saturday 8th November 6:30-8:00 we’ll have our bonfire night.  Come and munch soup! toast marshmallows! ooooh and aaaah as the sky comes alive with (other people’s) fireworks! And stay warm round a gurt big fire.  More info will follow!
Next up is Christmas Wreath Making Saturday 6th December 10-4. (yes sorry to talk about Christmas in October but we are looking ahead) £10 to come and make your own beautiful wreath out of natural materials.
Then we’re having another go at carol singing round the fire 17th December.
What’s that you say? That’s too much info to scribble on the back of your hand?? Wish you’d bought a fabulous limited edition Golden Hill Community Garden Calender last year??? Well don’t worry we’re got more in ready for 2015.  They’re lovely,  they’re on sale now and they’re just a fiver!!
So don’t be put off by a few showers and some blowy weather we’ve still plenty to do in the garden on a Wednesday, loads to harvest and our experimental sweet potato crop should be nearly ready -woot!!  Come get involved!
See you in the garden,
Lucy
Lucy Mitchell

Community Project Worker
The Golden Hill Community Garden: Horfield’s Accessible Allotment and Edible Forest
07506 905 394

YOUR COMMUNITY GARDEN NEEDS YOU!

September 5, 2014

Help!!  It’s a our fabulous Harvest Fair next Saturday but we’re short of volunteers to serve soup and cake and generally lend a hand for an hour!!  

And we need CAKE!!

AND enter a fruit and veg basket into our competition!!

And come along and enjoy the day and also bring along any unloved, unslightly or unwanted veg so kids and the young at heart can make them into veg monsters and/or chutney!

Get in touch!

Lucy 07506 905 394

Harvest Fair13_poster_30-8