Well, it's starting to look like we might get away with it this winter - shhh who said that?! Of course now we'll have a cold snap! Still, with a weather eye open and our boots all cleaned up and ready to go, the Incredibles are starting to get new plans together for the new year. Of course we'll be keeping all the projects we've already started going and working towards getting the new ones off the ground. We are also planning to hold more open meetings so that everyone can get a chance to hear what's happening and join in. We look forward to seeing faces old and new this year - we've made a brilliant start, let's not least with our Lucy collecting an RHS It's Your Neighbourhood Award for Greaves Forage Garden - keep it going forward folks!
More than 20 people turned up today to help us plant 5000 crocus bulbs to provide early nectar for bees - part of the Buzz About Bees campaign to get more forage for bees and other pollinators across the district. It was a great morning, and we got a lot of interest from the passing traffic! Now that we have planted the crocus, the city council can change their mowing regime, and this means that the wildflowers that are already present in the grass will have a chance to flower and set seed, which means even more bee food! Whilst this isn't directly edible food we are planting, we're thrilled to be doing this work as it will help the bees and other pollinators we need to pollinate our orchards - win/win! Wow, we've done it, we've raised all the funds we requested for the new Ridge Community Orchard and the trees have now been ordered - it's taken a long time to get this far but we're so glad we kept going as next spring there will be blossom in our neighbourhood! Having some sympathetic council officers and councillors really helps, but nothing takes away the determination and effort you have to put in - but the feeling when it all comes together is really worth the work - we would encourage anyone to go for it! Plant Giveaway Stall – generosity in action What a lovely day we had last Saturday at the Plant Giveaway Stall! Just like last year, we joined with Transition City Lancaster to set up a stall in Market Square with lots of different edible plants for people to take away and grow on. We had put the shout out for donations of ‘spare’ plants to all our growing friends and they responded very generously. It’s amazing how much you learn when people get together to talk about plants – some people were unsure that they knew anything at all about growing but found a wealth of knowledge that was happily shared, and even the old hands learned a thing or two, finding vegetables they’d never tried growing before. So thank you to everyone who gave plants, everyone who helped out, everyone who came by to see us and have a chat, and to everyone who took the plants away to grow (saved us taking them all home again!) Foraging ‘n’ Fritters We have had some wonderful forage walks over the last two or three weeks. They have been very relaxed affairs with much knowledge and good company shared. We learnt about and tried hawthorn leaves, lime tree leaves, wild garlic mustard/ jack-by-the-hedge, apple blossom petals, goosegrass/cleavers and elderflowers. The walk was rounded off perfectly by cooking elderflower fritters and dipping them in sugar and lemon. Delicious!! Phew! So much has happened since Incredible Edible Lancaster got underway nearly a year ago. Things we’ve done include: Cleared and sorted half an allotment to use as a nursery; Planted up an area at Ridge Community Centre; Enjoyed several forage walks; Planted seeds to give away; Planted an edible hedge at the Marsh Community centre and given away dozens of edible plants at a town centre event run by Transition Lancaster - can't wait for what comes next! |