WHATS ON AT WINDMILL ?

The following dates are what we have planned for 2024

Please email: WCGnottingham@gmail.com for more details.

     

April 18th - Thursday - launch of World Garden Words

We will be welcoming local people from many ethnic backgrounds and sharing food and garden language

May 1st - Visit to AMC Gardens 5-6pm for volunteers

Saturday May 4th Hanging Basket Workshop, followed by lunchtime AGM.  Please email for details of workshop.

May 15th - Plant and Seed Swap and general nice things from 5.30 to 7.30pm.

June 1st & 2nd - Green Hustle Weekend - Stall in Old Market Square

June 15th - Refugee Week - Stall at Sneinton Market

June 20th - Garden Words launch lunch

July 13th - Saturday - Feel Good Garden Party - Come and join us for relaxing and fun activities and food.

Outdoor Fun Sessions 

With Small Steps Big Changes for the under 4's

29 March

5 April

12 April

2 August 

9 August

16 August

23 August

30 August

25 Oct

1 Nov

23 Dec (This date might change)

As well as these activities, we have our regular gardening sessions from 10 to 1pm every Monday and 10 to 1pm and 1 to 4pm every Thursday, except for Bank Holidays.  We will be cooking food on some Thursdays over the summer along with exercise and craft sessions.  More details later.

Our space, or part of it is available to use at other times .

9.4.2024

THE REALLY WILD SPACE 

 

  Our wild garden is beginning to take shape.  As you can see from the photo, we now have a wide wood chip path allowing access to the whole area and far less brambles than there used to be.  This is thanks to several work parties and our regular volunteers.  Volunteers from local companies have been the Good Gym and VF, clothing manufacturers, along with Lucy the Nottingham Forager's groups, and they have achieved more than we could have hoped for on our own.  So thankyou to all of them and to all the people who donated to our crowd funding last year.  We raised £6,725 (minus commission), which will buy a new shelter and other necessary items and help with match funding from grant funders.  The shelter will be a simple structure to replace the old shed and greenhouse at the back of the photo.

The Good Gym

Work Team from VF

https://www.facebook.com/reel/1064596434795848

A video of the Queerly Wild group at work

Copy and Paste into your browser.

A donation to the Really Wild Space

As you can see from the photos, this is a wet space in the autumn and winter.  To aid drainage, someone has created two "wells", which are brick tanks.  One of them is filled in, but the other provided useful water in last years dry spell.  The plan is to repair the walls and fence them off to keep them safe.  We are hoping to have children's activities in the garden, so are aware of safety issues, as well as providing some "equipment" for them.  We have already been left a large pipe and are considering a tree swing and willow structure.  The plan is on going, so any other ideas are welcome.  The space will also be used for an adult quiet space and Lucy the Forager is creating an area that can be used for meditation etc.  She is also utilising two old coal bunkers to grow mushrooms in.

Lucy reusing an old coal bunker

Apart from the winter waterlogging, the main reason that we decided to create a wild garden, was the number of trees there.  There is a massive Ash tree on one side and there was also a large Eucalyptus by the opposite fence, which blew down in a freak hurricane in autumn 2022.  a blessing in disguise, as it was blocking a lot of light.  The allotment committee members very kindly chopped most of it for us and took it away, but left us with the stump and a piece that can be made into a seat.  Other trees, include a large Walnut, plum trees, a conference pear, an apple, two Contorted Willows, which unfortunately were knocked down by the falling Eucalyptus.  Also several Alders, which are a water loving species and some shrubs including red stemmed Dogwood.  We are planning on creating a small Willow Carr with more varieties than we have at present.  The stems will be used for willow weaving.

The fallen Willows and an Alder Tree

As well as existing trees and shrubs, there were a lot of flowers, native and garden, in the allotment when we took it over.  These include some impressive Elecampane which are much loved by our friendly herbalist, Katherine Bellchambers.  Snowdrops have just come into flower and we planted bluebells last year to add to the woodland ecosystem.  We are focusing on native plants which will be used by Lucy the Forager and Katherine the herbalist, but because it is an old allotment, there will be non native species too.

Now the flood waters have subsided, we are all keen to complete the basic work on the garden and are coming up with interesting ideas to make it enjoyable for everyone.  Please come and join in as a volunteer, or, if you are unable to do that, come and visit, or maybe consider using the space in the future.  Finally, many thanks to Tracey Lloyd, Mary Parkes, Lucy the Forager and the Windmill Gardens allotment committee, who have helped get this project off the ground.

Rosie Jarrett 2.2.2024.

Information on Foraging: https://www.facebook.com/Thenottinghamforager

Information on Herbal matters: https://www.nottingham-herbalist.co.uk/

  

The Real Wild Space

The Real Wild Space - https://www.avivacommunityfund.co.uk/p/therealwildspace

Dear all,

I hope you are well.

I wanted to let you know we have started a crowdfunding Project for which we are aiming to raise £6,000. We would love it if you could donate using the link below to access our Project page. Donate what you can, any contribution large or small will be hugely appreciated. Thank you.

The Real Wild Space:

https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/therealwildspace

Windmill Community Gardens

The Real Wild Space

Another lovely volunteering day

visit our Facebook for more details

Another lovely volunteering day at Windmill Community Gardens we are open to all for volunteers to come and enjoy the great outdoors & help nurture the garden & make good use of its harvest.

Mondays 10-1 or Thursdays 10-4

Hope to see you soon 😊

Pumpkin Day 🎃

Date for your diaries ... Our Pumpkin Day 🎃 is back!!! Saturday 29th October.

Harvest Festival 2023

What a lovely day at the Harvest Festival on Saturday at the Forest. Some people had come down especially, others just were curious what was happening as they were enjoying a walk, played sport, had family fun on the playgrounds.

Windmill Community Gardens stall we connected with some great people. Shared some apple or pumpkin pancakes, had fun with our magic apple peeler/corer/slicer ... apple bobbing & "did we beat the squirrels?" cobnut challenge

 

BLAZING JUNE

Everything is having a go at blooming now, even the potatoes.  Please do come and visit if you get the chance.  Most of the sessions are spent watering at the moment and there is talk of maybe we are going to get another summer like last year.  Well there's not much we can do now except mulch and water and have a few cool rests on the veranda.  

If you are free on Thursday lunchtimes, we are having a Lithe lunch every other week, So June 22nd, July 6th etc.  Lisa gives us a very gentle armchair yoga session in the shade, then we eat a light lunch prepared by the lovely Riza. You can help with the cooking or do a little gardening while you wait.

Rosie Jarrett 12.6.2023