InFocus Charity - West Hill

The West Hill Blog is back With a new look and a new name The WESC Foundation has changed its name to More posts will follow showing how West Hill has grown and how it continues to be used by students and others

Living amidst the January Lockdown, I am pleased that West Hill has remained open for WESC Foundation students who have enjoyed spending time on site. Everyone loves the tractor! Unfortunately  due to the prevalence of Covid we have had to shut our gates to volunteers & other helpers, so I am working alone - trying to do the job of 6 (the number of volunteers) who would normally help.  Winter can often be as busy as summer months in the garden as its when any landscaping / plan moving can be done. Prior to lockdown I had planned a number of large projects which would have kept the team busy, but as it turned out, its just me. The big task was completing the raised bed in the polytunnel. It took about 30 tonnes of super saturated soil to be barrowed in along with manure About half of the bed is planted with Kale which will be ready  in the spring The rest of the tunnel is filling up with seedlings and potted plants ready for planting out The Kitchen Garden is...

This last week we have been very busy at West Hill, as students have been enjoying visiting Santa, drinking hot chocolate around the camp fire and taking part in a treasure hunt Now the ramp to classroom is complete students can easily  access the room  Ross comes up twice a week - here doing one of his favourite tasks; sweeping the path Meanwhile Ruairi has been busy planting Rocket &  harvesting Fennel The big challenge has been filling the new raised bed in the Polytunnel  30 tonnes shifted so far with wheelbarrows - its been a team effort by Tom, Paul & Myself

The day I've been waiting for has finally come ... the day the digger arrived along with expert operator Tom from Exeter Digger Services.  The most important job, in preparation for the recovering of the polytunnel was to remove the Willows & Brambles that have routed at the base of the tunnel. Finished job! The next task was levelling the remainder of the viking boat This new space will be planted with more plants of Sensory interest In expanding the vegetable path in the meadow, the Baggesons Gold hedge was removed (& will be relocated to the WESC's Exeter campus) The new woodland border which has historically been the dumping ground for weed, is gradually being transformed. Having a digger on site made it easy to clear the brambles & old stumps Now cleared, the new space looks spacious. In time this will be planted with shade loving perennials & shrubs that provide colour & fragrance through the season ... in short an extension to the Sensory Garden with ...