Slab Laying - October Half-Term 2020
Working Day 10th October 2020
At the last working day, Saturday 10th October, a small army of people arrived to help work on the garden. We had people fence paining, moving sand and sub base MOT, digging over the wildflower meadow and planting bulbs, the teaching zone seats we made and the base was dug out for the new sheds.
An amazing amount of work was done and all with social distancing! Thank you to all the parents (and children) who came along and did SO much work. There is still a lot of work to be done but I am sure the staff, parents and children of Rockmount will continue to rise to the challenge.
Wildlife Area redevelopment between March and September.
During Lockdown, with the help of a £2950 grant from DPD and funding from the RFC the development of the wildlife area has continued. We have put in a new pond, added a wooden deck, created a bird and forest zone and created a log pile. The pathways have gone in and the area is safe for the children to use.
Next steps are to put in a teaching zone with fire pit and to add an animal handling zone.
Working day 15th March 2020
Thank you to all those who turned up and got stuck in. A lot was achieved. Next step, the pond and the fence.
Working Day Saturday 29th February
On Saturday 29th February we will be holding a working day to clear the wildlife area. RFC will be providing hot drinks and biscuits to keep the workers going. It is hoped that we will be able to dismantle the old fence and clear the area ready for the new and improved area. Hope to see you all there!!
Planned re-development of the Pond Area.
Back in March last year the RFC held the first garden clearance day in an effort to re-develop the pond and the surrounding area. A massive amount of work was done on the day. Unfortunately, with a very limited budget work stalled for the rest of the summer whilst I applied for some grants on the schools’ behalf. Hopefully, in the next few weeks we should know if we have been successful. The plan is to make the area into a wildlife area for the children to use and enjoy. We hope to have different areas such as a bird zone, bug zone, wild planting zone, the pond and hopefully an interactive zone.
The next few stages will be –
1) Knock down the existing fence and replace
2) To plant the new hedgerow and trees we have been given through the Woodland Trust
3) To remove the bush next to the pond
4) Re-lay the pond and make safe
5) Develop the rest of the zones
Planters!!
With crucial financial support from the RFC, we have been able to have 6 planters made and planted up. The planters were made by 'Men in Sheds'. They are based in Penge and are a charity which provides socialising opportunities and training in woodwork and gardening for people who find themselves needing companionship. The take on a variety of woodworking commissions for private individuals and schools. I would like to thank them for such wonderful planters.
Once in place, the planters were painted and then planted up by Jane the gardener. Thanks Jane they look great!!
Thursday 4th July - TSB working party + Men in Sheds
On Thursday 4th July we had some volunteers from a local TSB who came in and continued the development of the edible garden and the school playground. They worked hard all day painting the new fence, repainting the picnic benches, painting more of the tyres around the chicken coop, weeding and digging over the soil. At the same time we had Men in Sheds here who built a cover for the tap and built a sedum roof for the store out by the chickens. Thank you so much to you all for your hard work. Much appreciated!!
The Big Spring Clean - 23/3/19
In partnership with the RFC, a spring clean of the garden was organised. After years of neglect the pond took a lot of cleaning out. Luckily, many parents and pupils gave up their day, brought a supply of tools and got stuck in. As you can see from the photos, a lot of work was completed. The day was step 1 of our long journey towards a wonderful wildlife garden for the children to enjoy. Step 2 (date TBC) will be another work day in order to clear and prepare the rest of the garden.
As you will notice from the photos, we were also busy building a fence around the Edible Garden. The plan is to wood preserve the fence and then grow flowers along it.
A massive thank you to all those who came along and helped. It couldn't have been done without you all!!
