Volunteers blossoming on Tir Coed gardening courses
Written by Tir Coed / Friday 13 May 2022
We have already reached the mid-way point of our Organic Growing and Wildlife Gardening courses and following a short Easter break, both of our groups are back in the gardens and as enthusiastic as ever.
The garden at Llanfarian where the Wildlife Gardening trainees are getting their hands dirty is really starting to shape up – the wildflowers have shot up, with a carpet of red campions, vetch and clover starting to flower. Elsewhere, the wonderfully sweet scented native bluebells are scattered around the hedges and woodland edges and these, along with the many trees that are in blossom are attracting interest from a large number of pollinators at the garden.
The creation of a small pond has been a fantastic addition to the site, especially as our trainees are learning about the benefits of ponds and other water sources to wildlife. In just a few weeks the pond has transformed before our eyes and is now teeming with life, with water beetles and tadpoles seeking the shadier spots on bright, warm days.
Now our trainees have a treat in store as we ditch the gardening gloves and spades in favour of handsaws and hammers to build bird and bat boxes for the site. These will be secured to the larger, mature trees dotted near the entrance to the garden and will hopefully attract bats and small birds like great tits and blue tits to nest. It is the first time some of the group have used hand tools - like Hina, who is a natural and has picked it up with ease, and Ruby, who loves learning new skills and has enjoyed being a carpenter for the day. We’re sure that the bats and birds will appreciate their efforts and their new homes too.
It’s that time of year where a little rain and some sunshine will see things grow very quickly, so we’re all looking forward to seeing what the garden has in store for us next week.
