New Luce Gardening Group Portfolio 2019

Introduction In our second year of entering Beautiful Scotland, New Luce Gardening Group hope to display our year of endeavours and plans for the future. The village of New Luce has a peaceful, natural setting that our group, together with interested members of the village, aim to maintain and improve this character for locals and visitors. Our heritage is in farming but the village is now populated by approximately 150 people from a diverse range of backgrounds who have relocated alongside those born and bred here. Routes of the Whithorn Way (a pilgrimage walk from Glasgow to Whithorn) and the Southern Upland Way pass the village. There are a number of interesting monuments and archaeological, historical points of interest in the surrounding area, for example, a lead mining site. In recent years artwork was installed, drawing another genre of visitors. The well-used Village Hall is managed by a local community committee and we have a small popular village shop owned by the Community Council. The village pub has recently been purchased by our Community Trust. This trust was set up to allow local groups to access funding from monies received from Wind Farms in our surrounding area. Future investment and plans for the pub look very positive, bringing employment and an economic boost to the village. In the past year some of these windfarm funds have been invested in the local playpark which now boasts a fantastic play area visited often by families from the village and wider area.

Horticultural Achievement Our gardening group are extremely fortunate to have the opportunity to source funding that nearby wind farms share to local communities and our group made application to the trust. Funds received have been invested to provide longer term stability for the gardening group and community. We have to date purchased a poly tunnel, to hold plants and cuttings from last year and raise seeds and plug plants bought early in the season. Permission was given by the Community Trust to site the poly tunnel on the grounds of the pub. Considering the amount of watering required of pots and planters in different areas of the village, outdoor taps have been installed and water bowsers purchased to make the task more convenient. 2018 was a glorious summer but with little rain the rota of dedicated waterers was greatly appreciated.

The group met to plan planting for the following year. Research of plants that are rabbit and deer resistant was given much consideration. We aim to plant sympathetically to the beautiful area we live in. Thought was given to more sustainable planting of perennials and spring bulbs that would return each year and multiply. An order was placed for Tulip; Daffodil; Muscari; Hardy Cyclamen; Fritillaria and Lily of the Valley bulbs and corms, all species from the rabbit proof list.

Planting bulbs in October Colourful Tulips at the end of April

As mentioned above, in springtime we purchased and erected a poly tunnel to hold plants previously kept in a volunteer’s greenhouse over winter, along with cuttings from last year’s geraniums, raised seeds and brought on plug plants bought early in the season. Location of the poly tunnel has provided the group with tap access for watering in the tunnel and currently unused shed space.

Tunnel under construction The finished tunnel full of plants 2

We continue to encourage children in the village to inspire the next generation of gardeners. Last year each family in the village had responsibility of planting and maintaining their own pot. Having removed the annual planting of 2018, little conifers were planted in each family’s allocated pot, the youngsters decorated the trees and they made a welcoming display to the village at Christmas time. The conifers are now planted in more permanent pots which will be moved into prime position for the festive season.

Christmas 2018

This year the children have planted up their pots with strawberry plants and hopes are high for a good crop for healthy snacking!

Strawberry planting June 2018

Last year we received donation of three redundant builder’s wheelbarrows. We upcycled them, planting with annuals and sweet peas and villagers were welcome to cut to provide a delicious smelling posy. This year we follow the food theme of the children’s pots by planting the wheelbarrows with Tumbling Tom tomatoes, Basil, onions and edible flowers - nasturtium and calendula.

We hope this provides a taster for locals to help themselves to and enjoy with an aim to grow a greater community food plot in future years.

The success of the window boxes at the village shop filled with herbs last year, giving villagers tasty snipping’s, continues.

We felt there was a need to landscape woodland areas that had become overgrown with saplings, bramble and ivy making these areas more accessible and attractive for the community. After liaising with the Community Trust and their Green Spaces project, contracted tree surgeons were employed, opening up the wooded area of the community garden allowing us to plant native spring bulbs and foxgloves – another plant that the rabbits don’t find too palatable. 3

A separate wooded area at the opposite end of the village was also reduced. This has opened up views for the houses above it and given space to install a stone planter, revamping a smaller one on that patch currently made from old wooden railway sleepers that will complement the stone dyking around the village. This permanent planter will contain perennial plants that will swell and flourish in years to come. Large planters donated and upcycled last year have been filled with a mix of annuals and perennials – the iron bath has taken a watery coloured theme in keeping with its original use.

A sensory garden area, chosen as it is nearest to the children’s play park that families might enjoy it, has been planted with lavender, lambs lugs, Sweet William and phlox giving tactile and perfumed experience. These planters have a deep seat-like edge where people can perch to get up close and enjoy the plants. Earlier in the year these planters host a quantity of heather used to decorate the village hall at the annual Burns Supper.

April 2019

June 2019 4

Environmental Responsibility Some inter-generational working is seen below when planting up our bug hotel to encourage insect habitat. This was built by a talented gentleman in the village from pallets donated by a local farmer (from his biomass pellet delivery!) with credit for the design spotted by one of our garden group whilst on holiday – other people send their friends snaps of sunsets and beautiful beaches, but Beautiful Scotland competitors are always thinking of their village plans!

Bug Hotel – June 2018

We are extremely fortunate to have a population of red squirrels living in our area. Villagers encourage them with feeding boxes in their back gardens and we have followed by sourcing boxes made by inmates of Dumfries Prison. Bird boxes were also acquired so the bird population can enjoy five star accommodation for nesting next spring.

We are conscious of recycling materials by upcycling and reusing donated planters, flower pots and hanging baskets with plants sourced from various localities. One of our group is a trustee of Potters Community Garden in Stranraer, an excellent facility where trainees with learning difficulties have the opportunity to learn horticultural skill and gain qualification. We purchased from their community garden centre a selection of their cultivated plants including the strawberry plants the children used. Plants were also bought from the local school plant sale where one of our group is very involved. The local Council parks department informed us of surplus plants available to local communities and a great haul of good quality, annual plants was made filling pots and gaps. Our group have also provided plants from divisions and seed sown plants from their own gardens.

Plants used in these upcycled planters have been given careful consideration to appeal to insects, for example the salvias planted in the old seed barrow farm implement pictured below – they travelled back in the boot of the car from the garden centre, accompanied by a few bees relocating them to a new environment.

Seed Barrow – August 2019

We have ordered and expect delivery soon of a Compost Bin. This has been sourced within our region from Solway Recycling, a company who use waste plastic – including black plastic silage wrap waste, a percentage of which will be provided by New Luce farmers – to make a wide range of equipment. Composting the waste from our gardening and encouraging villagers to make use of it also to, in time, generate our own material saving the cost of buying bagged compost.

Wildflower seeds were sown in a bed last spring and insects were still enjoying them in October (14.10.19)

Community participation 2019 is a Year of Conversation in Dumfries & Galloway – New Luce has many points of interest to spark discussion

These include:  slate signage of the history of particular areas of interest, placed by the garden group from knowledge gleaned from local folks  newsletter, informing everyone of what the gardening group are up to  benches to sit with others and chat  quirky, talking-point features, including the children’s bug hotel and phone box library  the new playpark with sensory planter, bringing families to meet with others

Our village Memorial Hall is a well-used facility encouraging involvement of the wider community of all ages. Given over in the past few years by the local Authority to the community to manage, an enthusiastic committee maintain the upkeep of the building and facilitate its use for many groups. From charity fundraisers; Burns Suppers; Halloween and Christmas parties, for children in the surrounding area; and regular film nights, the hall is very much appreciated within the community. The gardening club held a feedback session there in September last year to update villagers of the results of our entry in Beautiful Scotland in Bloom (please see flyer attached in appendices page) we also ensure the planters and hanging baskets at the front of the hall are kept looking their best year round.

Hall Planters – April 2018

Potters Community Garden in Stranraer built a sleigh for families who receive support from our local Home- Start UK organisation. Through local connection it made its way to join our children’s Christmas Party and then added to the display with the little Christmas trees the youngsters had planted.

Home-Start Facebook Post – December 2018 7

Last year we sourced wooden benches from the local Men’s Shed organisation, these have been placed at suitable vantage points in the village.

In conjunction with our Home-Start link, we received squirrel and bird boxes built by prisoners at HMP Dumfries. Prisoners are learning new skills to help them move back into the community and products they make are given to local organisations and communities.

The village has benefitted from those serving Community Payback orders with grass cutting, weeding and general tidying.

Having cleaned up the, now disconnected, public phone box, one villager has added books to form a mini library with an honesty box. Monies generated go toward the purchase of plants for the village.

The taps we had installed to the exterior walls of the village hall and shop to enable more convenient watering of pots and planters also provide the many walkers and cyclists who pass through the village, a place to fill their water bottles.

Future Plans

We have funds in place to build a stone planter to replace one made with old wooden railway sleepers to compliment the natural stone dyking in this area. A local stone dyker is due to start this project in the next month or two when his workload allows.

As noted in the environmental section, we have placed an order for a Compost bin. Composting the waste from our gardening and encouraging villagers to make use of it also to, in time, generate our own material saving on the cost of buying bagged compost.

To the side of the village hall there are large wheelie bins for people who, due to living out-with the village do not receive uplift of their bins. They are not the nicest view to be met when entering the village and the garden group have funding to erect fencing to camouflage.

We hope to source further funding to invest in the purchase of a permanent Greenhouse as a more permanent fixture, sited where the poly tunnel is currently, moving it to another spot to use in conjunction.

Finance

New Luce Gardening Group is fortunate to have the support of New Luce Community Council and New Luce Community Trust. The Group also formed links with The People’s Project, Dumfries, at the awards ceremony in Haddington in 2018 when they not only gave advice on the water bowsers that we bought but helped to fund their purchase. Most of the funding received by New Luce Gardening Group came from the various windfarm projects in our area and we were awarded a total of around £4,000. This was used to buy spring bulbs, summer plants, a poly tunnel, water bowsers, hoses, outside taps, compost and other miscellaneous items. Both groups have other projects to fund but the efforts of New Luce Gardening Group are on display all year round for everyone to enjoy so it is hoped that they will continue to support the Group.

Appendices

Luce Valley News gave us the centre spread