The Sanctuary Garden

Something special happens when you show youngsters how plants grow, explain how to be gentle with the seedlings and letting them push them in the soil. Some are slightly damaged, some in the wrong place but it does not matter. The importance is that they did it. Their focused enthusiasm is remarkable; they learn spacing, sizes, colours, caring, taking turns at planting, speaking up and asking all kinds of questions (some related to plants).

Planting helps deal with the unexpected; when a pot is tipped upside down, the soil can collapse around the root or remain solid. Keeping the conversations positive, encouraging and complimentary is vital in particular for the children who fear failure to have a go.

The excitement when I returned to fill the bed made on the Jubilee ‘day’ was obvious. Pots were collected, and a fleece put over to protect the plants from pigeons. Now that The Sanctuary Garden has more pallets and expecting more compost, another donated bed will be installed shortly with seedlings

_{These photos were taken by a member of staff, approval sought and send to me with permission to publish them.}

The children at Carron Primary near Falkirk were enthusiastic at planting and most, had no idea what the seedlings would grow into. In less than a month of watering and spraying with ‘onion and garlic fermented plant juice (FPJ)’ this is the result. Purple pea pods have formed, not quite filled out yet, lettuces have exploded, corn is nearly a foot high, beans are reaching for the sky and seeds have germinated and looking good.

Seedlings are being planted up for the next cycle; filling spaces after a harvest and keeping the beds filled keeping roots in the soil that feed micobes, that feed plants nutrients that keep us humans healthy.

This is a project all schools could be involved with, it’s not just about growing veg, it’s touching the soil, relinquishing control as it’s messy and in the lap of the ‘Gods’ and most of all, appeals to those who struggle with the ‘school system’. This garden has become a place of peace and tranquility with positive stories are recounted by teachers and pupils alike.

If your school is interested in starting a garden, get in touch, it can be started and planted up at any time of the year, this is not just a summer project, there will be plants growing all year round and the startup costs are low.

These artichokes are the first crop in year two of the plant’s lives. Of course they are delicious, and the ‘hair’ in the center is so soft, it’s edible; probably picked too early. Apparently if they ‘squeak’ when you squeeze them, they are ready for harvest. The sharp petals scratch against the shell-like petal below making that noise. Boiled for 15 minutes according to Alexa, and consume. My mouth is watering as I write.

These salads are from the garden, and are delish; Onion Scapes (flowering stems) are like spring onions, loads of lettuce varieties, baby carrots, radish, red and green sorrel, nasturtium leaf and flowers, brassica flowers, peas, spinach and chard. A few marjoram leaves and anything else that’s edible.

Salad pots given away for donations at Tree Tops Nursery School Jubilee Day. The children planted up their own too. They all picked up pricking out seedlings really quickly. The school now has a new 4’x 8′ bed filled with compost and seedlings.

Julia’s poly tunnel is now complete and planted up. Some of the lettuce and chard planted a month ago are ready for the table. Brassicas and beans have been planted in the outdoor bed.

Working with children is remarkably rewarding; they don’t tend to filter their reactions and excitement.

The car is a real workhorse carrying pallets and now with a tonne bag, I can shovel compost into the back rather than loading individual bags that tend to tip over or spill.

The seedlings are almost ready to planted outside, courgettes are starting to produce fruit and there are 15 new beds 4′ x 8′, nearly 500 sq ft of new growing space.

It has been rewarding to work with schools, nursery schools and individuals who are struggling with where to start growing vegetables.

There are six raised beds for six classes and they planted hand fulls of seeds, nearly 500 seedlings, onion sets and potatoes in a day. Square foot gardening was explained, with the only real advice that the tall plants at the back so as not to shaded the wee ones, and the children decided where they wanted to plant seedlings and seeds. Each bed is completely different and the choices were made by each class.

Our septic tank is a reed bed with the last bed, filled with willow that need to be pollarded regularly. My car looked like it had a Harry Potter Broom attached to the roof.

Julia’s family has an allotment and wanted to encourage her to enjoy the outdoors, growing and eating her own veggies. As I had some plastic and left over trampoline hoops it made sense to add a little poly tunnel. Turns out I’d not considered allotment planning permission rules so it was lowered by removing the legs. The Area is the same but requires a bow, to enter if you’re taller than 5′.

Julia painted the pallet wood with veggie oil and vinegar, the emulsion seems to be better absorbed by the wood and gives a wonderful aroma of fish and chips. Nails were chapped in and screws added to the ends to make up an 8′ x 2.5′ raised bed and 300l of compost added allowing Julia to plant up half the bed. The square foot gardening idea was used here too.

Little Bugs outdoor nursery now has a poly tunnel for really inclement weather and to grow some tomatoes and other heat loving plants. It’s not finished…..

The original hen house has passed it’s use-by date and a new one has been erected. Pallet wood for the sides, covered with trampoline mat to allow some air flow, a rollaway nesting box and skids to make it easy (easier) to move.

The hens seem to like it.

The design and construction was helped by the Home Educated children and is now in full swing with staging made from pallets covered in trays. The plastic is not as clear and does not let as much heat in as the main polytunnel but it’s perfect for seedlings

Probably the most fun to put up using discarded 10ft trampolines, donated plastic and raised beds made with pallet wood. It needs a little more work. This space is managed by the Home Educated children, and the poly tunnel is technically portable, hence the huge blocks holding it down.

The nets that keep the children from falling off the trampoline are ideal for beds to keep off chickens, butterflies and slow down the wind. The legs that hold up the trampoline, when inverted are perfect hoops for netting or fleece.

Volunteering at the Sanctuary Garden offers a few things;

• It is outside with a view over the Forth Valley, the three bridges and Edinburgh.
• If it’s cold or wet, there is shelter in a warm poly tunnel.
• There is no pressure to actually do anything, you’re welcome to just chat with a cup of tea to escape the interminable torrent broadcast of bad news.
• Everything grown is shared, with volunteers, foodbanks and those in need.
• You’ll probably learn something new. Grant is fascinated with plants, nutrients, organic practices that work in the real world, nutrition, carbon sequestration and soil health.
• If there are seedlings and or vegetables that are ready, you may take some home

These volunteers from Aegon, spent a morning and constructed two raised beds with pallet wood, coated in veggie oil, as a preservative, filled them with straw, manure and compost and finally planted some seedlings.

Its rewarding, not too much heavy lifting and a distraction from the day to day humdrum, even though a lot of work was discussed.

It was a surprisingly easy job to pull the cover back over. What did take time was putting in cross bars, extra supports and cross bracing. That was done when the rain and wind was not awful.

Our MSP (Scottish MP) had a lot to do with it too: A deadline focuses the mind. My dad, who is 80 and Rory helped sort pots that had become a jumbled heap. One of the home ed kids on the spectrum and has no filter said “what a mess” and he was absolutely right, despite is mother apologising profusely.

Shirely-Anne said “Really grateful to receive Grant’s invitation and to hear all about the great work they’ve been doing to encourage young people to get involved with volunteering and growing nutritious food and Oscar definitely enjoyed himself in his new role as my Constituency Assistant.”

More bark chips down made it less muddy and lots of the ‘projects’ scrapped and disposed of, as I’d never get to them, the place looks reasonable.

Planting time is upon us and my polytunnel is now filling with trays of seeds. Last night was a frost and I had not protected pumpkins and cucamellons, I was expecting to find green mush, but they are still standing. Phew.

The outside lettuce, spinach and beets are all frosted but doing quite well. The Equinox is nearly upon us

The poly tunnel structure has been modified several times and the cover will go on as soon as this wind gives me a few days break.

Having donated to Eat’s Rosyth, and used their classroom in the orchard for classes, I applied and been appointed their Volunteer Co-coordinator. It’s 15 hours a week so I’m able to continue with the Sanctuary Garden and care for Sara, my wife.

The sap is rising and you can see daffodils and snowdrops appearing, and I’ve seedlings pushing up their heads in seed modules. It’s an exciting time of year.

Below are 314 varieties of vegetable seeds. The flowers are not as extensive but will be added shortly. If you would like a few seeds, I’m happy to arrange to meet or post the seeds. Drop me a note.

There are two courses starting, these are the beginner courses next week that are aimed at those who have tried and failed or are just starting out. These workshops aim to demystify without dumbing down. “Not too wet, not too dry” It will also save you purchasing equipment and supplies you don’t need. Which compost? What is vermiculite or perlite? How deep can I plant a seed? How to stop slugs without poison? Do I care about NPK on fertilizer?

These are the 4 week workshops on Eventbrite, one on Wednesday evening 7-8pm and the other on Saturday 10-11am

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/262630584147
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/263086808727

Following on from these courses is one combining Composting and Korean Natural Farming, also for four weeks. These will delve into composting methods, some that I’ve found work well and include a wormery and Bokashi. The Korean Natural Farming (KNF) method is aimed at substance farmers and reducing their costs of fertilizers and pesticides by making them at home. I have first hand experience of their effectiveness both on growth and yield as well as slugs and caterpillars.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/263131361987
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/263294038557

They come in threes. A part of the shed roof landed nails down on the bonnet of the car. 2. The polytunnel cover is off and the hen runs, not the hen house, were rolled down the hill. The plan is to rethink the build idea and ….. make a stronger structure.