DIGGers meet on Wednesday and Thursday lunchtimes - we aim to grow our own fruit and veg and have fun eating it! We also raise money for charity each year through a growing competition and give our primary schools a competition to try and win the "Lewis MacKenzie Trophy" (see bottom of page for a list of winners and fundraisers).
This week was cold, blustery and snowy! On Wednesday, we made more paper pots in the shed. Unfortunately the winter weather meant that the building of the Willow Seating has been postponed until next Thursday.
Despite this, Miss Swallow managed to spend some time in the garden, digging in more raised beds in case we can get more top soil delivered. 
We then made and started filling more pots at lunch time just as the snow really set in!
This week, we invited Mr MacKenzie to officially "name" the greenhouse he bought us last year! We hung the Betty MacKenzie Greenhouse signs inside and strung a ribbon across the entrance. Above you can see him just as he has cut the ribbon. We could then put the first seeds of the year inside and enjoy a carrot cake bought for the occasion!
A "before and after" photo shows our pots made out of old newspaper.
Eating lunch before sowing the pea and bean seeds on Thursday.
Also, Mr MacKenzie helped Miss Swallow to fix guttering to the shed so now we need to get the water butts in place to collect the rain water!
On Wednesday this week, we met indoors and looked through lots of first year Art books. Pupils have been drawing posters for our greenhouse. Above are the designs we chose to scan and print. We have invited Mr MacKenzie to visit next week to help sow the first seeds of the year. We will put up the posters, naming the greenhouse in memory of his late wife Betty.
Pupils were on holiday last week, but Miss Swallow managed some tidying and weeding. Today, Lewis and Charlotte brought more gravel into the garden to keep the weeds down in front of the greenhouse. 
Meanwhile, Miss Swallow continued weeding - you can see the beds still to do!! Catriona was not in today - hope you feel better soon and get back to school as we missed you! 
Oh yes, and we spotted our first flowers today - wild ones! They are a lovely blue crocus, and small bunch of snowdrops, near the fence, next to the compost heaps.
Our new chairs arrived this week - so we can now sit comfortably in the shed! You might wonder why we need chairs for a gardening group, but when it rains, snows, blows or is generally inclement weather, it is good to be able to still meet and do things in the shed! 
We have enjoyed feasts, watching out for birds (saw our first blue tit this week!), planning and opening various parcels of seeds etc. 
On Wednesday, we unpacked the chairs, and put up posters on the roof so we can see what we should be aiming to accomplish each month! It now feels positively homely in there!
We also put up a key holder (made from Polymer Clay by Miss Swallow)... 
...and hooks to hang our aprons tidily!
On Thursday, the sun was shining and it felt quite warm. We made the most of this weather and got cracking - weeding the raised beds. We also dug up the garlic planted last week (as it was too deep in the ground!) We replanted them with the tips showing so they won't rot away.
This week, Miss Swallow had a complete surprise. Little known to her, the DiGGers members were plotting and planning all week to have a surprise party as a thankyou for running the club! She innocently gave Catriona the shed key, for her to spend a non-existant free lesson making pots and tidying. In reality, they were out of lessons slightly early and putting out a home-made cake (very tasty Lewis!) and lots of chocolate goodies!! 
After polishing off the last of the cake on Thursday, we checked the "Allotment Book" to see what should follow brussel sprouts in terms of rotational planting. It just so happens the onion family is happy in poorer soil that the sprouts have taken nitrogen from. Above, you can see Lewis planting garlic. 
Charlotte keeps warm by running around (fast!) There was a freezing wind, so we couldn't stay out long. 
By the end of the day, icy rain and a gale was blowing up. The greenhouse window needed fixing so the wind couldn't get in and blow out all the panels. 
DiGGers now have a handy toolkit (bottom left of the picture) which was perfect for replacing a nut and bolt and a big washer. Let's hope the greenhouse is still standing safe in the morning!
This week, we felt a hint of spring! On Wednesday it was pretty cold, so we stayed in the shed and started to make pots out of recycled paper. 
We used two new pot makers - ones we acquired from the Royal Horticultural Society by completing level 1 of their Campaign for School Gardening. We shall gradually build up a supply of pots ready for our spring sowing. It is tempting to start sowing seeds on the first sunny day, but last year some seedlings went leggy as we started too early! So we must try and time things better this year.
You can see "before"... 
...and "after" pictures here. In fact, the compost is breaking down fantastically - containing a good mix of kitchen waste, shredded paper, bark, grass cuttings and cardboard. 
There were lots of stripey worms in there - not Charlotte's favourite, but essential to make lovely compost for the garden! Believe it or not, this bin was full to the brim before the Christmas Holidays, so you can see how it has rotted down. (The fresh waste was added this week).
Again, you can see a "before"... 
...and "after" shot here.
This week we returned to school. It has been very snowy and icy all week with torrential rain coming in on Thursday and Friday!
They contain seeds, porridge oats and melted lard. This time around, we didn't put holes in the pots, but tied washers onto the string to help it stay down whilst the mixture was poured.
Cutting the pots off the previously made fat balls ready to hang them out.