October has brought a mellow fruitfulness with burnished red and gold colouring the garden as rosehips ripen and leaves turn. Brambles give a last flourish and some late butterflies enjoy the shared haven and abundance of the walled garden.
Quiet now except for the birds singing as we take stock after an unexpectedly busy Doors Open Day this September. Many thanks to the tireless volunteers who made it happen welcoming over 300 visitors from the local area and surrounds to the mysterious 2 acre garden, many finding it for the first time. A special mention and thanks to West Pilton Parklife, Social Bite’s new eco-village residents and staff for their support and practical help. Many hands made the busy pop-up cafe come to life in celebration of opening a new area in the walled garden to community use. A synergy of live music, good people sharing food and environmental art in the heritage setting made it a very special open day.
The end of September saw great progress made with clearance of invasive scrub from the South Terrace begun in earnest. Help from Edinburgh University students volunteering for the day was much appreciated, opening the ‘Doocot Walk’ to visitors alongside regular volunteers. An amazing team effort with thanks to Written in Film and Ashley Erdman for documenting the latest progress in the restoration work.
Wednesdays and Sundays from 11am to 1pm, new and returning volunteers welcomed at the garden. Mini-sessions are set to continue over the next few months with some exciting plans and ideas for the garden gathered over the summer. Get in touch if you haven’t been to the garden before, or check out our ‘Volunteering at the Garden’ page for more details on the sorts of activities you could help with.
“An amazing space” September 2018