This week was very busy. On Tuesday, school inspectors wanted to meet us so we gave them a slide show about all we have acheived in our first year. Well done to Lewis, Shaun, Catriona and Charlotte - you all read your lines very well!On Wednesday we decided the barrels outside the front of the school really needed replanting - you can see why in the picture below!
We emptied them out completely and used new compost. They now have hyacinth bulbs deep in the soil, which should smell lovely in the spring. In the top are pansies which will get bigger and give good winter colour to brighten up the entrance of the school.
We were joined on Thursday by five members of staff and two first year girls who helped us plant yet more bulbs behind the school. There are now quite a lot of daffodils ready to come up in Spring. Thank you everyone!
We also used spare bulbs and some pansies to plant up two large pots for the garden - we will keep them a bit warmer in the greenhouse for the winter and put them out by the shed doors in the spring when they flower. Mrs MacLennan kindly donated some large pots that we can grow carrots and parsnips in next year - thankyou! 
Also on Wednesday, Danielle and Mr MacFarlane finished chopping up the sunflower plant remains into the compost. They also planted some onions.
If you are wondering about the "almost Bird Tables" bit of the title, well, Miss Swallow started to make a bird table just before lunch on Thursday using old bits of wood that we have. We want to feed birds during the cold winter (which started with snow just yesterday!) and be able to watch them from the shed. Things didn't go quite to plan - some of the bits are shown below - so hopefully, she can finish it over the weekend and we can put it up next week...watch this space!
Congratulations, DIGGers! A very nice preparation for a cold Winter ... and I'm sure that the "bird table" (I DO hope that's a UK expression for "bird feeder", as we say over here, as a bird feeder in your climate, as I understand it, will need a bit of roof over it, or it will be nearly impossible for the birds to feed from, or the students to service) will provide endless joy during the cold time. And I do not know your native reds, but here, we very definitely need to squirrel-proof the feeders, or they become squirrel feeders. They are clever little buggers, and are known for defeating our best efforts at keeping them out.
ReplyDeleteOh, well ... it's a poor experience that can't be learnt from.
Good luck!
—der Wandersmann
Congratulations, DIGGers! A very nice preparation for a cold Winter ... and I'm sure that the "bird table" (I DO hope that's a UK expression for "bird feeder", as we say over here, as a bird feeder in your climate, as I understand it, will need a bit of roof over it, or it will be nearly impossible for the birds to feed from, or the students to service) will provide endless joy during the cold time. And I do not know your native reds, but here, we very definitely need to squirrel-proof the bird feeders, or they become squirrel feeders. They are clever little critters, and are known for defeating our best efforts at keeping them out.
ReplyDeleteOh, well ... it's a poor experience that can't be learnt from.
Good luck!
—der Wandersmann
Well we won't mind if we get a squirrel to watch as we haven't seen any in the garden yet! If they become a problem, I have heard of people just putting lots of feeders out for both birds and squirrels!! We could put a baffle on to make it more difficult for them to climb onto.
ReplyDeleteI hope we get loads of birds coming.
ReplyDeleteyay birdies! :P
the birds will love the bird feeders.
lol
;)
I understand you folk have been rather blitzed with snow and cold, lately ... puts rather a crimp in gardening activities, doesn't it? A compensation is that the thick layer of snow and ice insulates those daffodil bulbs from the worst of the weather over the Winter.
ReplyDeleteAnd don't forget ... I want to see a photo of that bird feeder!
Oh, BTW ... I can't seem to get this blog to accept me as a "follower" ... I need advice.
—der Wandersmann