EVENT | Winter Tree Planting Workshops

To coincide with National Tree Week and the start of the tree planting season, we are hosting a series of two winter workshops on tree planting. We'll be learning all about how to plant and care for fruit trees and willow, by planting out our fruit trees and building a willow archway in the garden. There will be kids' activities too: making winter bird feeders and willow decorations. We'll provide hot drinks, refreshments and shelter to keep things cosy, but please dress warmly, wear sturdy footwear and bring waterproofs just in case!

Both workshops are free and all are welcome to attend.

EVENT | I Could Eat A Horse

Food is our fuel. Food is the ultimate currency of survival.
I Could Eat A Horse is a multi-art form project exploring the diverse relationship individuals and communities have with food.
A Moment's Peace Theatre Company have been working with local groups to explore the diverse relationship individuals and communities have with food.

We invite you to the debut screenings of the short films made. Come along and dig a wee bit deeper into questions about food consumption and the food industry. Join the discussion about the stuff we put in our bellies.

*****
Ticket info:
The event is FREE, but ticketed. Booking is encouraged.
T: 0141 352 4900

Get Tickets

www.cca-glasgow.com

*****
A wee bit about the films...

John Wheatley College: A group of teenagers ponder why there's so much fuss about food. In a world where they're told constantly to eat healthily, how easy is it to do this and does it really matter? Working title - Feasterhouse

Dumbarton Road Corridor: A film exploring what a group of children know about food - where does it come from, how is it made and who are our food roles models? A contemplation on whether our children know enough about their food. Working title - What are they Eating?

Kirti Group at Shanti Bhavan: Did things used to be better or do we look at the past with rose-tinted glasses? Drawing on their personal experiences to explore how food culture has changed in their lifetimes, and exploring the effect these changes have had on modern day Scotland's relationship with food.

REVIEW | Work Session 10.11.13

Last Sunday Sequoia Hearne, a photographer who lives in Willowbank Crescent, came down to the garden and took some beautiful photographs of our work session. Enjoy!

We planted broad beans, harvested our mini carrot crop, and made a new leaf mold bin!

You can check out Sequoia's other work here and here.

EVENT | Film Screening + Discussion

The Wonders of Soil: Film & Discussion Event

Hosted by the Woodlands Community Garden

 

When: Thursday, November 21, 7:00pm - 9:00pm

Where: The Albany Centre, 44 Ashley Street, Glasgow

With a screening of the film Dirt! The Movie and speakers from the Soil Association and Whitmuir Organic Farm.

Dirt! The Movie is an insightful and timely film that tells the story of the glorious and unappreciated material beneath our feet.
Inspired by William Bryant Logan's acclaimed book Dirt: The Ecstatic Skin of the earth, Dirt! The Movie takes a humorous and substantial look into the history and current state of the living organic matter that we come from and will later return to.

Dirt! The Movie will make you want to get dirty!

 

View the trailer

Join the Facebook event

 

This is a FREE event, part of the Woodlands' Bio-diverse and Talking Science programme to reconnect you to nature.

REVIEW | Work Session 20-10-13

 

 

Great work session in the garden last Sunday. 

We started out by giving the compost a good turn and adding some shredded cardboard to the mix to make the compost a wee bit healthier and happier.

We then filled the third raised planter with soil and planted some lovely organic garlic. 

Giovanna and Colin planted bulbs around the border of the garden which will hopefully bloom in spring and make the garden look wonderful and colourful.

As always, we picked up any litter that we found in the garden, and then retreated as the rain began to pour.
See you next Sunday!

EVENT | AGM & Planning Meeting

 

 

When: Thursday 31st October, 5pm

Where: location tba

 

Let's come together, share our ideas and visions for the garden, and plan for the future.
We need to elect a new committee in order to affiliate with the SRC. We'll also create some exciting new volunteer roles. All are welcome!
We'll try and make it Halloween-themed... think pumpkins, toffee apples, and treats!
An agenda will be circulated ahead of time, so if you would like to add something to it, or can't make the meeting but want to contribute, please email us at willowbankgarden@gmail.com.

DOODLE POLL | Planning Meeting

At the end of the month we will have a planning meeting to share our visions and ideas for the garden, as well as discuss volunteer roles and internship opportunities.
For those that would like to attend, please fill out this Doodle Poll with your availability so that we can meet at a time that suits the most people.

REVIEW | Work Session 13-10-13

Our first work session of the academic year 2013/14!
We finished construction of the new tool shed, dug up potatoes, and picked kale and elderberries!

EVENT | August Meeting

 Tuesday 13th 6pm! 
Picnic and Planning Chat

Let's have a feast and see what the garden is needing, have a chat about our plans for the space and all :) 

New and Old faces and ideas welcome - come along and share your story and vision for the garden. 

If you aren't able to make it feel free to email your ideas to willowbankgarden@gmail.com

Fear not! There will be more meetings like this in the month in preparation for our open day in September,

Short and sweet planning chat but foodie rambles may rattle on... 

Please bring a dish to share and maybe a blanket too to sit on. 

If its raining, we can move to a cafe near by...

Facebook Event page

UPDATE | August

The King Carrots are happy with the Nasturtiums - the bees love the colourful flowers and we love the peppery leaves in our salads. The lessons of a willowbanker - We need to remember to not plant as many nasturtiums next year though so that they don't need as much pruning.... 

Our first courgette - thanks to Clara for giving this plant to the garden for us to look after 

Our friends the nettle and clover growing by the fruit trees - we will be transplanting the fruit trees into bigger containers in the fall.... 

Fresh organic peas and fuchsias

Garden meeting to be announced for late August. 

Open day to be scheduled for mid September - 

Job opportunity coming up for Glasgow University Students 

watch this space! 

UPDATE | July

Local residents and university students working together to keep the plants thriving in the summer heat! With help from Woodlands Community Garden Willowbank is now flourishing! 

 Many native wild flowers have been planted, as well as veggies and herbs.

And we've been having some tasty feasts too! Come say hello or enjoy the space when you can :)

We have all been working on the garden in our own time, as we are all busy bees. We hope to have many open days later in August and definitely in September. Watch this space! 

UPDATE | June

Phew it's been raining! The plants will be happy!
Busy workers in the garden have set up an old bicycle with cornflowers, morning glory and sage. The wildflower meadow is beginning to flourish and we have had some kind donations from fellow gardeners of mint, strawberries, maple tree and comprey. Many new planters are being set up, king carrots and nasturtiums in one. Oh and the compost is being well used!

Sunday the 30th June there will be an elderflower pancake feast in the garden as well as a spot of work. Come along and meet the gardeners and share your ideas for the space! All afternoon from 1pm! We have no marquee at the moment, so wrap up warm incase the elements are against us.

We are exploring learning to grow our own organic food and teach each other about permaculture and the properties of many plants in the garden. If you have a trick or two you would like to share with us or you are interested in growing in the garden, come along and get involved. We aim to share the produce equally amongst us all. This year our harvest may be small, but as we learn and nurture the land and our skills, who knows what we will have in years to come. Plans are forming for a sensory area in the garden, a native herb raised bed, sculpture and paintings as well as raised beds with all our vital greens!

If you can't make one of our work sessions  the garden is a lovely quiet spot for a picnic - feel free to stop by and enjoy, but please respect the area and pick up your litter.

All the best,
From the Willowbankers

EVENT | Once Upon Today

This weekend at the Woodlands Community Garden, close by to Willowbank...

As part of The Glasgow Science Festival and West –end Festival, this free family event will share the story of the garden, some green-fingered crafting tricks and ideas for living more sustainably.

The nature walks will be led by eco-storyteller, Allison Galbraith - 

The morning walk leaving from the rear entrance to Kelvingrove museum at 11am along the path by the Kelvin and up West Princes street up to Woodlands Community Garden.

Please book by emailing – onceupontoday@live.com
The afternoon walk will be a dropin, leaving from the garden at 3pm back to the museum where there are plenty of other Science Festival activities!

In the garden there will be different tricks throughout the day:

* A visit from Forest Nymph Ariel Killick sharing Nature and Gaelic Tales*

* Performance Poetry from the Woodlands Poetry Class *

* Planting herb seeds – a little nature medicine for you to take home in the garden. Have a wee flick through Louise Bustard's Book - Chickweed, Willow and Other Wild Glasgwegians...
also available online - http://www.accessglasgow.org/NR/rdonlyres/FA6DD876-EDAA-4B8F-9602-E3B8D83BA484/0/WildPlantsofGlasgow.pdf *

* Upcycling crafts with Carol in the Woodlands Gap Site - tetrapack wallets, coasters and ring pull jewellery to name a few! *

* Recycled sculpturing installation, origami crafting and treasure hunting with Katie in the Woodlands Gap Site*

And information stalls from local environmental organisations and campaigns such as

Friends of the River Kelvin
Froglife
Kinnaird Village Community - Frack off
Glasgow University Environmental Sustainability Team 
and
Willowbank Community Garden

Oh and tea, coffee and home baking too!

AND we would like to invite you to share your story for the Once Upon Today Zine - what's growing in your garden, recipes, riddles, memories from a bygone era - catastrophe and beauty, we are our own heros and villans...

There will also be the Woodlands Big Lunch over at Millenuim Park with Flourish House, pop along and share a dish and stories! Allison will be joining the feast for storytelling 1 til 2pm.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Check out www.onceupontodaydotcom.wordpress.com
to explore the roots of the event...

WISH LIST | Summer 2013

• A hose (a friendly neighbour is giving access to a tap, currently plastic bottles are being lobbed out the first floor window but we could do with a quicker tactic) 
• Some passers by to water the plants when they can
• Lolly pop sticks for labelling the plants 
• Some string and canes for tying up the pea and bean plants

If you can help out with any of these things or help with the garden at all, please get in touch or leave them in the garden. We are also keeping an eye out for containers we can plant up - if you see anything please let us now. We do abstract - just not toilets! :) 

With Growing Greetings, 
The Willowbankers

REVIEW | Biodiversity Day

Hello!

Big thank you to all who came along for the Willowbankers day of biodiversity!

We did some planting of beetroot, brocoli, dill and marjoram. Chalk drawings - which the kids took charge of - as well as some raised bed construction and mulling about drinking tea and soaking up the sunshine!

It was great to meet many local residents and find out how we can help each other. Alistair and Zofia led a biodiversity education workshop sharing tales of local and global issues and the importance of water conservation in order to maintain the diversity of nature.

We are going to try and keep the sunday work sessions going throughout out the summer so please come join us in the garden on sundays, whither to enjoy the space and chat away or to lend a hand.

Stay tuned for information on an open day in June.

Post arrived today! Poppy, sunflower and nastrium seeds! Lot's of planting tricks in the next few weeks!

Birds eye view of willowbank!

Willowbank Jungle Banter

The kids showing Katie and Bernard how to plant the raised bed - peas and flowers in their now!

Zofia sharing some biology thoughts