Before a well earned rest for a couple of weeks we have been awfully busy in August as the title of this may suggest! We had many visitors to the garden in our very successful garden event on a lovely sunny Sunday including many local people as well as many other VIPs. A big thank you to West Lothian Youth Action Project, who were a welcome site come lunch time, providing BBQ’d burgers and hot dogs, Emilie Wadsworth from Central Scotland Green Network brought along all there is to know about ladybirds, Kirsty Morrison from West Lothian Countryside Ranger Service brought along lots of fun things to do and spot in the outdoors, Cyrenians brought along a fresh produce from the farm in Kirknewton, West Lothian Waste Services spread the word about composting and recycling, Garden for Life came along to let folks know about their volunteering opportunities and some homemade dog soap (Yes! Dog soap!) not to mention TCV’s very own clan selling wildflowers from our wildflower nursery in Grangemouth, games for kids, big and small, and general information on Green Gyms as well as all the work the volunteers have done in the garden.
And lastly, a big thank you to West Lothian Council for their support over the years since the Green Gym began way back in 2010, especially Becky Plunkett. And thank you to everyone and anyone else who helped make the garden the valuable green space it is today and the day the great success it was, hats off to the person who organised the lovely weather too. Phew! A lot was going on at the event and leading up to it!
Once we knew Waste Services were coming along to the event we were inspired to build our very compost bin, which is already filling up fast! The nearing of the event also made us begin the task of rediscovering the willow walk; K is doing a fantastic job of this. 
Our first task after the break will be to fill up the hazel seat and finish it off before autumn and winter kick in. We have weeded an area to create a folklore garden which will be planted up soon.
Leading up to the event, a lot was coming out of the garden too. 
We harvested the last of the most colourful array of spuds you’ve ever seen. Purple Arran Victory, pink Kerrs Pinks and white Maris Peers were eaten for tea that night. It wasn’t just the spuds that were brightening up the harvest but some multi coloured radishes too. I’m pretty sure none of the peas made it past the gates – just too delicious not to eat there and then. 
We’ve had some other visitors to the garden too, lots of bees loving the mint that’s in flower at the moment, lots of butterflies that were too fast to photograph (Cabbage Whites, a Red Admiral and a Peacock) but also a volunteer from almost as far away as you can get – New Zealand! She had never volunteered before and thoroughly enjoyed getting gloves on and joining in while she was on holiday.
Our heads will be put together after the break to come up with ideas for over the autumn and winter, hopefully tasks that will keep us warm n cosy. Watch this space…
