The Gateside Gardening Club
Over the last year a group from the area have worked to improve the planting around the Memorial Hall and generally ensure the garden is looked after and a welcome place to visit. It also looks after the planters which sit at the ends of the village and ensures watering occurs routinely during the hot dry spells. The group meets approximately once a month on a Saturday or Sunday mornings for a couple of hours.
At the start of 2022, the garden was a little neglected in areas following Covid and required a good deal of weeding and the cutting back of overgrown shrubs. We also found a group of pots hiding underneath a large Buddleia which have been repositioned along the edge of the carpark and replanted. We had several donations of plants and seedlings which helped to add in colour and variety in the garden.
We also applied for a small funding grant of £250 through Volunteering Matter Action Earth to replace the planter at the east end of the village with perennial planting in the ground. The planter was beyond repair following a storm and we knew that perennial planting would benefit the environment meaning we wouldn't use annual bedding plants. Perennial planting ensures far greater biodiversity, colour throughout the year and is far more drought tolerant reducing the need for watering through the summer. The perennial bed is now ready for planting following the efforts of a group last Saturday and the planting will follow in the next couple of weeks.
We would like to thank all of those who have supported the gardening project over the last few months, Davey who has routinely cut the grass at the Hall which helped to enhance our efforts and also #NatureScot for accepting our funding application. Watch this space for our 2023 plans and do get involved if you can!