Category Archives: News from the Garden

The fair! Saturday 13th May! 1-4… and other fun things

April 28, 2017

Hi everyone

It’s all systems go at the community garden! Whether we’re basking in the sun or dodging the hail there’s lots to do. The polytunnels are HEAVING with happy healthy seedlings waiting for you to go out into the beds or be bought by you! 

The Spring Fair is just two weeks away and is going to be a corker! Saturday 13th May 1pm-4pm (please ignore posters where I put the wrong date! It’s def the 13th!) We’ve got some absolutely great live music lined up, loads ofplants for sale, Pigsty Morris will be doing their thing, the storytellers are ready to enchant, they’ll be LOADS of free kids’ activities and the perennial favourite and ultimate test of speed and skill… Bat the Rat!
 
    

​​This year we’re aiming to make our event as accessible as possible so our beautiful Balehouse will be a quiet sensory space which will have special quieter performances is for those who’d appreciate it. We’ve a super duper barefoot trail  and we’ll have a Fair Fairy on hand to give anyone who needs a little extra support.


SO we just need you! Our events rely on your help!  If you’ve got a spare hour or so on the day to bring along a cake or help on the day as a tea maker, pizza maker or to help on the plant stall – please please let me know! AND please help spread the word!  I’ve attached the poster below please print it out and put it up at your work!  At your child’s school or nursery!  In your window! Here’s the Facebook event link
 https://www.facebook.com/events/1874998862749928/  please tick going and invite ALL YOUR FRIENDS! (including those you’re not spoken to for 15 years) 
 
In other news, we’ve had some cracking stuff going on for families in the garden. The Sunday Club for families with a child/ren with a special education need or disability couldn’t have asked for a more glorious day.  A Golden Adventure Day highlight was watching the children flee from the giant eggs in our Easter egg hunt. And our family Inclusive day is now a blur of singing, pizza and smiles.


AND finally …We’ve still got a couple of spots in our Tuesday afterschool Golden Club where this week we munched on freshly picked pea shoots, watched newts, painted stones and the children got busy trapping themselves in a massive net. Great! Get on touch for a free taster session for anyone in year 1-6.
 

 
See you in the garden!
 
Lucy
 
Lucy Mitchell
Community Project Worker

07506 905 394
ghcgarden@gmail.com

Spring!

March 13, 2017

Hooray it’s spring! we’ve got seeds nosing their way up through compost in the polytunnels and bumble bees on the crocuses (crociii?). The pond is full of frogspawn and I can remember in our bones what summer feels like.  This is also the time when all the plans we’ve made kick into action.

Coming up we’ve lots of great stuff for families with a child/ren with SEND.  Thanks to the Quartet and John James Foundations and the Avon and Somerset Police we’ve got more inclusive Adventure Days planned as well as an exciting new Sunday Club!  Please let anyone you know who might be interested or let me know if you’d like to volunteer to help make these days especially special.
AND coming up as as well in the Easter holidays we’ve got our usual Golden Adventures Days where we’ll be going deep in the wild woods to live off our wits, make, craft, play, eat pizza and try not to be eaten by wolves. These days are always a hoot and are for 5-12 year old 11th and 18th April 10am-4pm £26 (£21 extra siblings) booking essential.
                 
Finally hats off to Pete and team for the Balehouse’s makeover, stepping inside is now like stepping inside a sun warmed daffodil.  Pictures don’t do it justice – you have to come and see it.  And a round of applause to the hardy team of volunteers who’ve spent the winter weeding, barrowing, chopping and chatting and cooking an array of delicious soups! Just great! Farewell to folks who’ve moved onto pastures new and we always ready to welcome new people along! Any Wednesday 10-4pm
So come join us as winter becomes spring, everything is springing into life and and you might even get on hands on one of our precious last winter leeks or be in time for some of the first juicy pink bit of rhubarb. Yum.
See you in the garden!
Lucy
P.S Giant Big Spring Fair 13th May! Put it on your calendars!
Lucy Mitchell

Community Project Worker

07506 905 394

November 17, 2016

H everyone!

 
Well!  Saturday night’s bonfire party was an absolute stonker!!  A massive thank you to everyone who came and brought their friends and family and helped us raise a whopping £1450, and a HUGE thank you to the Bishop Rd PTFA for organising the fireworks and a GIANT  thank you to the volunteers who worked so hard chopping, cooking, baking, mulling, guy making, fire building and all the rest. Just brilliant. Here’s  pic and you’ll just have imagine a crisp, cold, autumn night in the garden, the crescent moon low in the sky, mug of delicious soup in one hand, cup of scrumptious mulled apple juice in the other, lots of lovely folks and a great big bonfire.
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And sorry to bring up Christmas so soon after bonfire night but just a quick note to say wreath making will be back on the 3rd December so pop that on your calendar and tell all your friends!
 
 

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And to finish… the latest pic in our exotic veg range 2016… yacón! The jury is still out on the taste – it’s not “like an underground pear” as we were promised but it’s supposed to sweeten up and maybe then it’ll more like “a cross between watermelon and mild celery”…. 
 
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See you in the garden!
 
Lucy

New season, new term.. HARVEST FAIR!!!

September 12, 2016

Ahhh farewell August!  It feels like just the other day we were munching our juicy and sweet polytunnel melon in the blazing sun ….
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but now all eyes turn ahead with the turning season to the new term and …… THE HARVEST FAIR
 
It’s going to be ggggggreat!  We’ve got an amazing story teller coming along, Simon the pizza king will be working his magic, there’s a rumour that the punk badger will be there(…with a brass instrument but he works in mysterious ways so let’s wait and see) and I can conform that YES….. Splat the Rat will be back!  And cake, and apple bobbing, and making vegetable creatures, and the A.M.A.Z.I.N.G Pip’s Jukebox taking your requests and DIY facepainting, and more!
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How are such wonders possible all in one place I hear you ask??? It’s because of our amazing team of fabulous volunteers… and you could be one of them!  Yes you!  WE NEED YOU! You’ll get a free cup of tea and piece of delicious cake and a lovely warm feeling from helping make this lovely day even more lovely! Please please please get in touch if you can spare some time on the day or bake us a cake or share our poster on your facebook wall or bring along everyone you know on the day!   
 
And our new term of Golden Buds stay and play group and our afterschool club started next week ! Still spaces in the 11:30 picnic session and it’s a great opportunity to learn the secret second verse of Incy Wincy Spider!

 
But before the Harvest Festival and the new term we’ve just got some time to smile fondly and reminisce about the Golden Adventure days and our inclusive families days which were just lovely.  Absolute highlights for me had to be either dipping freshly picked plums and raspberries into chocolate just melted on the fire.  Or hordes of children cheerfully picking off hordes of caterpillars before they could do too much damage to our broccoli – such sharp eye and tiny fingers!  
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These days went better than we could have hoped, we loved running them, the volunteers loved helping at them and the kids and families all had a great time.  We’ll hopefully be running plenty more stuff like this in the future and thank you to the local Wellbeing Small Grants fund for making it possible and the SEND a Welcome parents for their support and guidance and Mike and Emma and Sarah and Eve and Linsdey for volunteering
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And it’s a great time to come along and get involved on a Wednesday – just pop along any week between 10-4 we’re harvesting loads at the moment!  Peas, kale, chard, potatoes, tomatoes, aubergines, chillies, plums, apples, raspberries, radishes we might even unearth our precious precious carrots soon…and grapes! our first and only bunch (so far) happily munched this week.  Good times!
 
See you in the garden!
 
Lucy

Summer! and the goings on of summer!

July 29, 2016

Hi everyone,

I know I always say this but we’ve had a great couple of weeks in the garden. The Golden Buds toddler group went out in glory with a teddy’s bears picnic, a MASSIVE potato harvest (honestly! such an amazing amount of potatoes off a couple of plants! such tiny green fingers!) and an unnecessarily hot fire on the hottest day of the year. I’m just sorting out booking for next term so get in touch!   And we’d love some more help, the new term starts 6th September and it’s just a couple of joyful hours a week!
 
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The Golden Club finished on a bang on the same scorching hot day with marshmallow fondue, water fights and next level pond dipping – i.e children dipping themselves in the pond.  It’s been a magnificent first couple of terms and we’re full for September but plan to run all year round so get in touch to get on the list! And if that sounds like fun… then why not come and help out?  We’d love more help and it’s only 3 hours and very very fun.  Term starts 6th Sept
 
 
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And now it’s the summer holidays so that means Golden Adventure days for 5 to 12 years oldsand we’ve already been busy making cool stuff, starting fires, munching pizza and commuting on a time travelling turtle – and there’s spaces available on the 16th, 23rd and 30th August.  (and of course we’d love help making these as fun as possible- get in touch to come and volunteer!)
 
We ran our first Inclusive Family Adventure Day yesterday and ….. it was FANTASTIC!   17 children from 9 (mostly) local families sang, toasted snacks on the fire, played parachute games, made pizza, lazed in homemade hammocks and enjoyed the new and absolutely fabulous sensory trail built by our volunteers in the edible forest.  It was a joy or as one participant said “really, really, really amazing”.  We’ve got space next week on the 4th (but we’re full for the 18th) so get in touch if you have a child with additional needs or a disability . It’s just a £5! Bug thanks to the Bristol City Council BCR Well Being fund for giving us the cash to make this possible, and keep an eye out for the SEND a Welcome folks working to make the community accessible for everyone.  Also (you’ve guessed it!) we’d love some more help on these days!  4th and 18th of August – just 4 hours of your time or just the morning or the afternoon to help give these families a cracking time in the garden. Let me know!
 
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The garden is looking great!  The dragonflies are out on the pond, our new butterfly I.D sheets are being put to good use. Our beds are full of veg – purple beans! golden beetroot! black tomatoes! red potatoes! It’s been a great year for our veg.  Except the carrots. Don’t mention the carrots…  
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And we’re got a date for our Harvest Fair Saturday 17th September 1-4.  Please pop it on your diaries.  We always need more help! more music!  more cakes! and more idea to make our events lovely.  If you’d like to help organise it please let me know!  Apologies for the local clashes with other events.
 
AND finally a massive thanks to all the folks that make this possible! the amazing team of volunteers that get so much done, keep the garden looking amazing, and grow so much tasty stuff AND the folks that help out with our kids activities!! You know who you’re great!  And if it’s not clear above …. We’re always looking for more help so if you fancy helping any of the kids’ stuff this summer or with the new terms of the toddler groups or after school club then let me know!  It’s all lovely and many hands make light work!
 
See you in the garden!
 
Lucy

Sunshine News from the Garden

July 4, 2016

Hi everyone!

Okay so we’ve had soggy days and the world may seem a little uncertain but here’s some sunshine news from the garden!
berry hands
Firstly a massive thanks to the lovely people of Bishopston Garden Society who last week dropped off an wonderfully unexpectedly and massively generous cheque for £800 raised at their open garden day!! Thank You!!
 
AND we had great news from the Local Small Grants Wellbeing fund from the council who are funding us to run some new inclusive adventure days for families with a child with special educational needs or a disability and their siblings.  These will be accessible, fun packed, days where you can bring your whole family for sensory trails, silly games, cooking on the fire, singing and music, pizza from the frog, and all sorts of garden loveliness. Just £5 per child!! Bargain!  Thursdays 28th July and 4th August 11pm-3pm and another date to be confirmed (but probably 18th August).  The days are aimed at 5-12 year olds but there are no age restrictions and everyone is welcome but booking is essential.  If you’re interested or you know a family who might like to come along please let them know and get them to give me a ring!  
Send a golden welcome 2016
 
AND it’s summer so our Golden Adventure Days are back!  Running from 26th July- 30th August every Tuesday with a worldwide theme we’ll be building igloos, crossing sand dunes and trying not to be eaten by tigers!  Get in touch as soon as pos as booking is essential and these are going to be great. 10am-4pm ages 5-12  £26 including pizza from the frog!
Summer 2016 golden fun poster
Our first tomato was ready last Weds – whoop!- and at the moment we’re harvesting tasty tayberries, strawberries, chard, beetroot, cabbages, peas, mangetout, potatoes, turnips, blackberries, spring onions, courgettes and loads of delicious stuff, heaps of flowers and all you have to do to get your hands on some delicious bounty is … come and be part of our garden every Weds 10-4 AND the fabulous Diane is opening up on some Saturdays – check out times and dates on our facebook page! 
 
The first tomato 2016
 
And of course the tods of the toddler group keep up their happy toddling and the kids of the afterschool Golden Club carry on making ever more elaborate dens. 
 
Ahhh the Golden Hill Community Garden! – where the sun is always shining…even when it rains! 
 
rainy pond dipping
See you in the garden!
 
Lucy
 
 
Lucy Mitchell
Community Project Worker

07506 905 394
ghcgarden@gmail.com
 
 

The fair! Fun! and the Get Growing Trail

May 19, 2016

Hi everyone,

Firstly… The fair! What a great day! nearly 800 folks (yes 800!) through the gate and we raised a whopping great £2100! Whoooop! Thank you everyone who came and enjoyed the punk badger, origami, clay sculpting, willow weaving, facepainting, plant buying, rat splating, cake and pizza munching, not falling in the pond and more! The weather was perfect a glorious sunny day- And I especially liked the downpour of rain that came at 4:10 – just when I was wondering if anyone was planning on going home 🙂

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Thank you every who came to make the day so lovely and a thousand thank you’s to everyone who helped on the day. You are amazing!

And we’ll be open again and selling more lovely plants (lots of our flowers and squashed ans pumpkins weren’t ready back for the fair due to the rather bracing spring we had). We’ll be opening again as part of the city wide Get Growing Trail! Saturday 4th June 11-3. We’ve got loads of different squash, tomatoes, aubergines, salads, and flowers and all sorts. Come and say hello and eat some cake. They’ll be pond dipping and the play house for the kids 🙂

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Our Tuesday after school Golden Club is now up and running and loads of fun. We’re full at the mo but we plan to run ALL year whatever the weather so please get in touch to get your small folk on the list for September and beyond. We pick up from Bishop Rd Primary School and provide snack, slug hunts, epic den building, fires and fun times!

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And no need to wait until next term… this half term Captain Claire and I will be back for a Golden Adventure day! Tuesday 31st May 10-4 £26 including pizza from the frog. Our theme is… birds – so we’ll be bug hunting for food, nest building and having a go at flying! Booking essential.

It been a busy few weeks and one of my favourite times of year – standing in the garden we can practically feel the plants growing around us as the soil warms up and the garden gets greener It’s a great time to come and get involved! And we’d love some more help with our lovely Golden Buds Toddler group if you’ve got a spare couple of hours on a Tuesday morning!

And we’re currently harvesting broad beans, rhubarb, spinach, chard, lettuce and even a bit of aspargus! Come and have a munch!

See you in the garden,

Lucy

P.S You’re receiving this email becasue you have at some point shown an interest in the Golden Hill Community Garden. Just let me know if you’d like to be taken off the list

Lucy Mitchell
Community Project Worker
07506 905 394
ghcgarden@gmail.com

 

The Fair! It approaches! 1-4 Saturday!

May 5, 2016

Hi everyone!

 

The Fair!  It’s nearly here! I know you’re all coming but maybe someone you know is umming and ahhing about attending with their entire family and all their friends. If so please feel free to use this list of reasons to convince them
 
1. Festival circuit favourite Pip’s Jukebox will be playing and singing YOUR requests…for 20p!  Under the Sea from The Little Mermaid to Dr Dre and everything in between.
 
2. Pizza from the frog, Best Pizza in Bristol. Fact.
 
3. Ever admired the veg on our posters? Garlic Tony our designer will draw you… as a vegetable or fruit OF YOUR CHOICE! Get thinking.. what vegetable are you???
 
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4. Plants to buy!  Fruit bushes for a fiver!  Delicious heritage salad packs!  Purple mange tout!  Everlasting flowers! Bargains to be had!
 
5. Make origami!  Sculpt clay!  Weave a beautiful willow crown! Find a newt!
 
6. A choir!  Soul harmonies! Sing along classics! Beautiful folk! ….. THE PUNK BADGER!!!
 
7. The joy of being in the sunshine garden humming with life and laughter.
 
8. AND best of the best….. SPLAT THE RAT!! Yes. It’s true and quoits and giant jenga but…. SPLAT THE RAT! Woooooo!  
 
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You make our events lovely so please come we’d love to see you. Also there is still time to volunteer!  Donate plants or bake cakes or give some time on the day! Go waaaaan! We need you!
 
See you at the fair!

Spring! Golden Club! Art!

March 17, 2016

Hi everyone

Hooray for spring and the things of spring!  Each day new green seedling poke there heads and announce themselves to the world!  We’ve got lettuce, beetroot, cabbage, chillies, melons, tomatoes, peas and all sort of flowers showing their green faces in the polytunnels this week.  We’ve had some miserable Wednesdays of frost and floods and freezing winds this March but yesterday at last it was warm enough to start planting some stuff in the ground! Here’s to our fifth growing season and it’s a great time to get involved.
 
  

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Other exciting news is that we are now taking bookings for our latest venture the Golden Club. An afterschool club for year 1 to year 6 every Tuesday in term time!  It’ll run from 3:30 – 5:45 cost £8.75 and we’ll be picking up from Bishop Rd School.  It’ll be a joyous mix of outdoor fun –den building, nature exploring, veg growing, making, crafting, fire starting, and generally hooning around playing silly games.  Kids LOVE our adventure days and here’s a chance for them to come every week!  We’ll be running free tasters 12th, 19th and 26th April get in touch to book your place!  And we’ve just got our last couple of spots left for the adventure days in Easter 29th March and 5th April so get in touch to snaffle them up.
          
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But that’s not all!  On the 30th of March we’ll be starting a fab ceramics project with a wonderful local artist. Happening every Wednesday 1:30-2:30 in the Balehouse for get in touch or just come along if you’d like to find out more!  
 
AND a date for your diary – our lovely Spring Fair will be on the 7th May – write it on calendars now!  In pen!  And we’ll be happy to accept any and all donations for plants for our plant sale if you’ve over sow anything. In fact, why not chuck a couple of extra seeds in with us in mind!
 
See you in the garden!
 
Lucy
 

Lucy Mitchell
Community Project Worker

07506 905 394
 
 
 
 

Frogs, frogs, fun, tods, and frogs

February 29, 2016

Hi everyone

There’s lots and lots going in the garden at the moment- mainly…. SPRING!! Whooop!  and THE FROGS ARE BACK!

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There’s. So. Many. It honestly feels like a wonder of nature and I half expect David Attenborough to pop out from the undergrowth.  But they won’t hang around for ever! they’re here to mate before they head back to their allotment homes. So get yourself down here in the next couple of weeks and bask in the gentle and soothing sound of the croaking of hundreds of happy frogs.
 
Coming up as well in the Easter holiday we’ll be running our next Golden Adventure days 29th March and 5th April. It’s pirate themed but salty seadogs and landlubbers welcomed equally!  More of the usual games, crafts, games, pizza and silliness but with added ARRRRRRRs and maybe a parrot, and definitely a plank!  5-12 year olds £25 each and £20 for additional siblings including snacks and lunch.  Booking essential!  
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AND coming up next term we’re pleased to announce our newest venture!  a brand spanking new and exciting after school club – Golden Club!   Running every Tuesday picking up form Bishop Rd School and drop off for other schools. For Year 1 to year 6.  Loads more info to follow but we’ll be running 3 free taster sessions 12th, 19th, 26th April so get in touch to get names down for that! 
 
I’d like to give a special mention to the parents and toddlers of the Golden Buds toddler group who have carried on coming ALL winter through winds and rain and are now all officially ‘Tough Buds’!  Now it’ll just get warmer and more lovely!  We’re changing the times of our sessions so they’ll now run 9:30-11 and a new lunch time picnic session 11:30-1 with all the same fun activities but with more harvesting and eating!  Get in touch to get your name on the list or come to a free taster!
 
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Now it’s onwards and upwards to the warmer weather, seed sowing and growing, biscuit munching and chatting.  It’s a great time to get involved! And we’re back to our summer opening times 10-4 every Wednesday
 
See you in the garden!
 
Lucy
 
Lucy Mitchell
Community Project Worker
07506 905 394
 
ghcgarden@gmail.com
 
Please note I work Part time usually Tuesdays and Wednesdays