GLiN in Partnership with CRT Groups – Superb Spring Seed Sowing

Posted May 30, 2023

In Blog, GLiN, GLiN/CRT, Grow & Learn in Nature

The Caley and Coalfields Regeneration Trust (CRT) created a partnership in 2022 which would bring the GLiN Award to chosen groups across Scotland. Since January 2023 we have been working closely with these groups. The key things we have been doing are helping them plan their gardens, planning their projects, creating planting lists, seeds sowing, thinning out seedlings, pricking out out seedlings and planting them out. We have also been doing some wildlife hedge planting, wildlife spotting, making pitfall traps and studying what insects we have locally and so much more. In this spring update we want to share what the groups have been up to.

As part of the GLiN Award we have also been delivering Masterclass sessions for all of our groups which have included: Garden Design with Caroline Kerr-Smith, Propagation with Colin Ainsworth and Biodiversity is Buzzing with Carolann Philp. We would like to say a massive thank you to our incredible hosts for their brilliant masterclasses.

Group updates:

UPMO Group at the Hive in Gorebridge

Measuring out where their raised beds will go in the garden. Using measuring tapes and pegs to mark out the spaces.

Filling their raised beds with 6 tons of top soil and compost

Planning and caring for their raised bed, named Rosie, to be a cottage garden themed bed incorporating flowers and vegetables. The participants have now planted onions, sown carrots, spring onions, beans, sweet peas and calendula.

The Recovery Group working at The Zone hub and garden

Upcycling old wooden creates and lining them so they can become planters.

Sowing seeds ready for growing in the polytunnel and raised beds.

Participant showing off his pea seedlings that he has pricked out ready to pot into larger pots.

Participants thinning out beetroot seedlings to give them space to grow while they await their raised beds being built.

The Cabin Crew Group

Design and building of their new cold frame

Their new cold frame built from old pallet wood and two old mini fridge doors. Now ready for plants to start growing.

Planting wildlife Hedging along the top border of their garden ready to encourage wildlife, provide shelter and reduce flooding.

Danderhall District Guerilla Gardener and Primary school pupils

Planting pit fall traps in the local park and gardens to find out what soil dwelling insects they have in the local area.

Finding lots of soil dwellers such as woodlice, centipedes, millipedes, ants, spiders, slugs, snails and more. These were all found in an area where pesticides used to be sprayed, showing that now the DDGG have taken over and planted the area with wildlife friendly plants the insects have started to return.

Netherthird Nursery and Netherthird Community Garden

The nursery children have been sowing peas, beans pumpkins and poppies. These will go in the nurseries raised bed in the garden and in the wildflower meadow.

The children have been growing their pumpkins in toilet roll holders to reduce, reuse and recycle.

Their pumpkin seedlings where then planted up into donated plastic pots ready to grow on in the polytunnel for a few more weeks before being planted out into the raised bed.