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