Garden Plant Stall at Borth Charities Fete

Amongst the variety of stalls that the Borth 2nd Scouts run at the local summer charities fete is a bric-a-brac stall that we always find quite depressing. We’ve helped out with it for a few years now and it’s never that exciting. Don’t get me wrong, we are of course grateful for all donations to it and it does make a little bit of money each year, but much of the stuff we put on the stall has been going on it for years. Each year we get it out of sheds and boxes, put it on the tables for people to look at, sell one or two pieces and then pack it all up again ready to come out next year. We know this for a fact because some of the items are things that we donated years ago and still they come out each year only to go back again at the end of the day… As I said, it’s all a little depressing really.

So, as Scout leaders we decided to change things around a little this year, get the scouts motivated and get them a little more involved in the stall that they’ll be manning. Instead of bric-a-brac we decided it would be a good idea to do a plant stall. It sounded like a good idea at the time, the Scouts could grow some plants and then we’d sell them, easy hey….but, now that we’ve started it I’ve realised how much work it will be – especially for me.

The first task of course was to source some materials. We were going to need plants, seeds, pots, compost, labels and that was just the start. I’ll be going through our garden taking cuttings and dividing any plants that I can and digging up any that are surplus to requirements so that these can all be sold on the stall. Hopefully we’ll get some donations from parents too. We also approached the local garden centre (Newmans) and they very kindly donated some split bags of compost, some pots and a whole selection of seeds.

Impenetrable Greenhouse

Impenetrable Greenhouse

At the Scout meeting this week we all got our hands dirty sowing seeds into countless pots and made a start on the big job of tackling the incredibly overgrown greenhouse that was to house the plants. Our neighbours, Dave and Sarah have always said that we can use their greenhouse for our seedlings so we asked them if they would extend this generosity to the Scouts to which they agreed. The Scouts seemed quite keen to help clear it out as well so that was the plan last night. Mind you, when they saw the thick tangle of grass, brambles and nettles that filled the green house from top to toe I think they had second thoughts!

Nonetheless we got stuck in and made good progress. As dusk fell we had made quite an impact and had at least excavated back to a state where we could see the ground and had found the shelving. We’d made enough room to house the various pots and could clear up for the night.

The Scouts headed home and I’ve now been left with the task of finishing the clear up in the greenhouse. I will of course also have to water the plants and tend to them daily once they start germinating. No doubt there will be weeding, thinning out and planting-on to do in order to keep the plants healthy and flourishing until the day of the fete. I suppose no one said it would be easy and the plant stall was my idea so it’s my own fault really – I’ll just have to get up half an hour earlier each day in order to tend to them.

Our biggest worry at the moment is that the fete is only 5 weeks away and at the moment all we have for the stall are hundreds of pots filled with compost, I’ll start feeling better about it all once the are some signs of life. There’s always a shed full of bric-a-brac if not! Be sure to come along to the summer fete and get yourself some plants. Not only will it be a nice day out but it will support the local charities and make me feel as though it was all worthwhile too.

All this work has at least motivated me to get some seeds in of our own. We’ve been a little slow off the mark this year with our veggies but hopefully I’ll get some courgettes, chillies, peppers, tomatoes and cucumbers going for ourselves soon. Once I’ve spent a few more hours clearing out the greenhouse properly I might even use it to grow some tomatoes and cucumbers. We usually grow these in the conservatory but there isn’t quite enough room for them on the windowsills really so a couple of grow bags in the greenhouse should be much better.

I’ve just spent a few more hours out there clearing the greenhouse and organising things and it’ it all beginning to take shape.

Once again, on behalf of the Scouts I’d like to thank Newmans Garden Centre for their generosity and Dave and Sarah for letting them use their greenhouse – they’ll be happy to hear that despite having twelve crazy Scouts in their greenhouse last night not a single pane of glass was lost in the process!

 

 

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Alan Cole

Alan is a Freelance Website Designer, Sports & Exercise Science Lab Technician and full time Dad & husband with far too many hobbies: Triathlete, Swimming, Cycling, Running, MTBing, Surfing, Windsurfing, SUPing, Gardening, Photography.... The list goes on.

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