June 2022 News
The month started with a gardening workshop at the Green Hub at St James Garden on 1st June.
Getting stuck in at the Gardening Workshop at St James Garden
St James Garden really is full of life and colour right now. It’s great for pollinators and other wildlife and we’re delighted that the bird boxes we put up are being used. St James Garden is a place to meet friends and neighbours and have a chat, a place to recover and recuperate, a place to play, learn… and grow! Come down on Wednesdays between 10am and 1pm to see the garden for yourself. The entrance is between 192 and 194 Tollemache Road.
Fresh strawberries from St James Garden
It’s not all hard work at St James Garden
This month we have weeded, watered, harvested and planted. One of our plot holders harvested their first ever garlic. We shared strawberries, raspberries, onions, broad beans, blackcurrants, rocket and more. We planted out squashes and tomatoes that we had grown from seed. We’re also very grateful for gifts of plants… potatoes, more tomatoes, lettuce, salsify, cabbage and florals.
Making sure the beds are well watered!
We are making room for more beds. If you are on the allotment waiting list and want to take a bed at St James, contact Victoria at the council. If you are a community group and want to use some space at the site, please email wen@la21.net
There are beds available for individuals and community groups
Round the corner, at the Bee Wirral Elemental Project, our gardening group for men has also been busy. This month the group have picked produce (including strawberries and sweet peas), weeded, watered and carried out pond maintenance. There’s always a chance to relax and enjoy some wildlife spotting too!
Picking strawberries at the Bee Wirral Elemental Project
Plenty of insect life to enjoy in the garden
These sessions take place every Wednesday, from 10am – 1pm at Landsdowne Place in Birkenhead. For more details and to join in, please email Tom@beewirral.gov.uk
A place for socialising, keeping active and learning gardening skills
There’s lots of growing going on in the garden at Falkland Road too. If you visit, see if you can spot a topiary snail taking shape. The snail has been named either Wendy or Olwin by the Falkland Road Organic Gardeners. Has the summer sunshine gone to their heads?!
Wendy or Olwin the topiary snail!
Broad beans from Falkland Road
Volunteers’ Week ran from 1st to 7th June and was a chance to show appreciation to all who give their time, energy and enthusiasm to help WEN.
To mark the Queen’s Jubilee, Linda from the WEN Crafters group held a craft and plant sale in her road. She raised a marvellous £215 for WEN. Thank you so much Linda!
Robert’s Eco Warrior certificate from Morrisons
We were so grateful to everyone who came to our Volunteer Day at Falkland Road on 6th June. 18 people turned up to help with pruning, painting, weeding and fixing the raised beds. Unfortunately we were so busy, we forgot to take any photos!
If you would like to join the volunteer team, here are some of the tasks you could help with:
Sewing seeds and potting up plants for sale at our fairs
Join our Craft Group and help with craft making projects
Using reclaimed timber to make bird tables, planters, and other wooden structures
Help to paint and spruce up our office, group and teaching spaces
Office work, helping to make up our packs that we hand out to people at our stalls
Help with our pop-up stalls and our fairs
Maintaining our community gardens and green spaces
If you are interested in any of the above or have other ideas of how you would like to help, please get in touch by emailing Karen – karen@la21.net
We organised two Sustainable Seacombe events, with funding from the Sparks Fund from Involve Northwest. The first was on 17th June, where we invited people to create edible and floral planters for doorsteps and gardens in Seacombe and Egremont, greening the streets and linking up open spaces. There was also time for vegan cake, as well as a chat about free courses to learn about climate change and the environment. We had fun meeting everyone who took part and enjoyed sharing thoughts about the eco solutions offered across the Wirral.
Making a doorstep planter. Gardening is great, whatever your age!
Cheery flowers to brighten up Seacombe
The Sustainable Seacombe Eco Pop Up Trail took place on 25th June, with Falkland Road being one of the stops on the route. We provided plants to pot up and take home and served vegan lunch and afternoon tea. Elsewhere on the trail, Hype Urban Bikes were at Central Park running bike safety checks, giving active travel advice and loaning bikes to try. Energy Projects Plus had a pop up stall giving energy saving tips and guidance on energy and water bills. There were upcycling demos at Urban Vintage and nature activities in the Tiny Forest at Citrine Park.
Sustainable Seacombe Eco Pop Up Trail
On 28th June, we launched Eco Art In The Park at North Wirral Coastal Park, beside Leasowe Lighthouse. We have collaborated with Wirral Unplugged, artist Alison Bailey Smith and Wirral Eco Schools on this project.
Eco Art in the Park launch event
Flower sculptures made from recycled and donated materials by Alison Bailey-Smith
The giant flowers will be touring schools and then parks over the coming months. Schools and Wirral organisations can book the sculptures and request pollinator passports. Email wen@la21.net with proposed dates and, if the artworks are available, we will send you a booking form.
Book the flower sculptures for your park or school
To round off the month, on 29th June, we had another gardening workshop. This one took place at the Bee Wirral allotment and taught pond maintenance. The final two gardening workshops in the series will be held in July:
Wednesday 13th July and Wednesday 27th July
10am to 1pm
Holy Apostles and Martyrs Parish Church, St George’s Road, Wallasey, CH45 6TU
