Earlier on in the year, BTCV were asked by Bedford Borough Council to help build 3 raised beds (planters) and create a bog pond at Addison Howard Park in Kempston.
Above: Katherine saws the timber to length, Ed is helping hold the timber and Duncan is …urm… supervising!
Above: Hazel, Katherine, John and Martin are preparing the ground so that the raised bed will sit level.
Above: John (left) and Martin (right) are fixing the timber together.
Above: Duncan shows that he’s a cut above the rest when it comes to working with timber!
Above: Here is Duncan digging a hole for himself … oops, I meant to say a hole for the bog pond!
Above: On Monday 24th October, members of the public were invited to take part in filling and planting the bog pond for Make a Difference Week. A number of adults and children took great pleasure in getting muddy and putting in plants that love boggy ground.
This took place alongside the completion of the raised bed constructions. And whilst some people were working hard… see Hazel, John and Martin below:
Other people took some time out to make a sand castle… see Katherine & Jill below:
Once the raised beds were built, we put a porous liner on the inside & base (it will help retain moisture but as it is porous it won’t become too waterlogged).
Above: Martin spreads out the gravel (this aids water to seap away) at the bottom.
Above: John compacts the mixture of soil and compost used to fill the top 2/3rds of the planter. Natural compaction will occur anyway and this allowed us to top it up before leaving site.
Above: The finished planters. The two in the front of the picture are at a height and width suitable for disabled access.
Above: Behind the L shaped raised bed, from left to right, Ed C, Jill, Larissa, Katherine, Hazel, Martin, Duncan, John and Ed G (me).