Orchids and bluebells in the woods, snapped before we went a learning ;

Went on an interesting day’s training called Growing in a changing climate organised by Emma Williams of Tyfu Pobl (Growing people) and The Federation of City farms and Community Gardens ( http://www.tyfupobl.org.uk/about-us/ ) Focussed on  sharing the problems associated with growing in our often wet and windy Welsh environment but also a chance to look at a Forest garden in development and other growing lands at Coed Hills.  Also how to create a hugel-kultur mound on land at Field Days Organics, a part of the  Amelia Trust Farm in the Vale of Glamorgan. Our trainers were Sam Holt from Riverside Community Gardens based at Coed Hills and Stephen Watts a peripatetic trainer and founder of the Abundance  project in Sheffield. EmmaWilliams led the course and has blogged about the course on the City farms site  capturing the spirit of the day and  the people involved.

Here we all are

Making the mound was a good experience and should help us get it right when we try to build one ourselves. The walk round the Forest Garden in Coed Hill was reassuring as we could see how guilds, mounds, plants, trees and edible plants were knitting together. It seems like a big old wild patch of ground yet when you looked closely you see a coexistence of an abundance of plants and trees. Theory into practice! [See our previous course with Jess Clynewood and Rich Wright from Coed Hills]

Thanks to all concerned and all the lovely people we met on the day.

Back at Coed Panteg the next day we took advantage of the sun to create paths and to fight back the omni present grass round the strawberries. Laura and Andy and kids came up for a mid day picnic which was a treat.

Bluebells in the woods before the summer weather takes them away.