WEST HILL BLOG No. 123 Life in Lockdown

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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 being expanded - making it 3 times the current size. The new space will contain a walk in fruit cage, paths & gates, providing good access for our students to be part of the kitchen garden. 
The existing fence is being dismantled & posts removed
The new exciting project is the creation of the new Woodland Border which until a month ago had been the dumping ground for weed & stones.  The border as you see it now was deep in nettle, fallen trees, bramble & bramble & so I thought it would be the perfect place to create a new border.
The soil is of good quality though full of nettle roots & plastic
Before (last year)
After ...
In time, the border will be full of seasonal colour & fragrance with shrubs & perennials. 
Many of the perennials will be divided from established clumps I have elsewhere & from seed collected from our own stock








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