day before the opening

With the opening due tomorrow 2nd July 10.30 am, a group was down at the Nursery to just finish of a couple of things that were outstanding, ie gate, flags, project group stepping stone filter for pump.Then again it could be just to top the tan up!!!!!

Photo above: A stepping stone made by Carolyn at our group as a signature for the work we have done.

Two photos above: shows the gate I recently made, designed to keep the children divided.

Below: See-saw with flags mounted.

Photo Below: Showing the completed Igloo with one of the Talking heads in the foreground ,the well stocked raised border being complemented with 11 painted pots(painted by members of the project group) planted with a sun flower.

WE ARE GETTING THERE !!!

Its been over a week since my last update on the sensory garden project, and how things have now moved forward, and coming to its completion, with the official opening happening on the 2nd July 2009 ( so look out for your invitations).

Below are two photos showing the before and present:

So who needs those make over programmes !!!!!!!!!

Below the Sew -saw water pump (near Completion) and below the Xylophone.

Below : shows one of the Borders well stocked (thanks to the hard work of our own Chief Plant person Rachel Curties).

Couple of pictures

Photo`s show: Top to Bottom.
Border two flowering , Igloo and Border One Flowering

SEE-SAW INSTALLATION

A new week and work was started on the see-saw water pump, as you can see from the following photo :-

The two main uprights supplied by http://tomtheappleman.wordpress.com/ and the metal bar by Steve davies have been installed and the lower(shorter blank) fixed to the cross bar. Awaiting to be fixed to the longer board by bolts. This will hopefully be done on friday. Also today we had a team working on retouching up the balls and blocks on the abacus..... or was it a case of topping up the tan!!

THE GRAND OPENING DATE

Its official.

2ND JULY 2009

Is the date of the opening, and invitations will be going out to all those who have either worked,contributed or parents who have children at the nursery.

So watch out for yours !!!!!!!!

We have finished the raised borders, so they can now be planted

After delays in getting the raised borders fitted, thanks to the weather, we finally got the last 2 fitted, even though we had to work under a canopy at time.





















Above : Finishing touches to the
last of the raised beds.

pic: He you can see two of the raised borders

The following picture shows what one looks like planted up :

Update: It is hoped that the igloo. which has had all the panels fitted by washing line to give it a unusal by great effect , will be installed next week after the bank Holiday, as some more ground work is still required before installation.

Working on the Igloo

Where`s the sun !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Wed 13th May 2009, was the day the frame of the igloo arrived and a team of members was to come down and lace the panels that we had manufactured at pennants in Oswestry. We started of well until the weather changed for the worse, luckily we were able to move the frame and panels inside to do, which was a great help.


As you can see from the picture , many panels have been fitted and laced up, with Gabi and Arron posing for the camera.













One question I have been asking myself is..........


I just hope that we can get the igloo out once completed.



So that`s what a vacuum is for !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Pic below .Gabi doing a good job with the vacuum Cleaner










Weather permitted, It is hoped that we can get work done on the see-saw water pump, install the raised borders and if the lacing is completed, the igloo can be concreted in.

Installation of talking flower and Woodenman

May the 7th, dry sunny weather and wind,- prompt work by steve, who made the Talking Flowers helped us to be able to install both talking flower and wooden man. as you can see from the photo below is one of the talking flowers stems:

The picture below: All 3 stems are showing just behind the water channel. The middle one, will be inside the igloo that is still being worked on. Thats, due for delivery to the site on the 12th of May, where the panels will be fitted.

The picture on the left, is of the woodenman structure after being fixed into position, awaiting the setting of the concrete. Once set a small flower border will go around the legs of the structure.

Pic Right: Down tool time, no, just the team having some down time and taking stock before tackling the wooden man. (well, thats what they said!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!) could be they just wanted to top their tan up!!!!

My plants are flowering...............

A visit to the nursery garden on Tuesday 5Th, to get another border planted, brought a nice surprise to me ..... one of the plants I planted has started to flower. (I`m easily pleased) especially that I am not very green fingered.

One of the borders being planted below:-

Nursery update

As we get into the 1st May, and we take stock as to where we are, items still awaiting for the project are :-

• The Igloo, which is away being coated, the panels for it have been cut, which will have foot prints added to them.


• The wooden man is awaiting fixings, so that it can be fixed into the ground, also braiding to be added to the trunk.


• Talking flower, this is going to be made up with it being available at 3 points. the channel has been started to install it, some work on the units still to be finished and painted.


• See-saw water pump, this is still in the infantsy stage, but it purpose is to be able to pump water to the top of the water channel. It is hoped, the with the movement of the see saw two pumps will be able to draw/pump water with each movement.


• Mosaic stepping stones - still some to be set into cement.


• Gate for the abacus barrier.

So there is still plenty to do before we get to the opening date of the 25th June 2009. Let`s hope that we get good weather to help us along.......

Another day and more progress ..............

Being the last day, to be able to get to the Nursery this week due to other activities, saw another flower border to come to life. (Picture to follow). Progress was also made in getting the water channel set in, so that next week the moasic can be finished. Then work started on a channel to take the pipe work and post for the talking heads

Installation of the water Channel

Today, Tuesday the 28th April, the welding of the water channel took place, to join the 4 sections together before being set into position in the garden. Once set, the final pieces of the moasic can be then completed........

picture below:- Shows the water channel joined together.

Nb : click on photos to enlarge

The abacus barrier.................

These are a couple of pictures of the newly installed abacus, painted by members of `The Project Group`, still awaiting a gate to be fitted.

NB : Click on photos to enlarge

The area of the Sensory garden........

The area in black will accommodate a water feature, raised borders and a Igloo..........

The photo on the right, will accommodate a Apple tree, Xylophone....























This photo (left) shows the recently Abacus barrier, to divide the garden into two sections, the ramp on the right leads down into the area from the other playground the children use. This area will hold the Wooden man , borders of flowers various stepping stones made from tiles incorporating pictures drawn by the children from the nursery........

NB Click on photos to enlarge

The first of many of the plants to go in..............

Here is our own Chief gardener Rachel Curties :

wooden benches for the nursery

Another workshop was arranged to make some benches for the sensory garden. So five of us met up at Tom Adams workshop to make them.

Traditional methods where used in making the seats, as shown by the photo below left:-

Below: one of the legs being prepared by axe

This method was used for most of the legs, with one of the aims of the workshop was to not use to many power tools, only a belt sander and drill to make the tenons on each of the legs.

It can be done by hand, but we had to cheat as we only had 6hrs to make 3 benches.

Below: You can see from this pic one of the 3 benches finished barring a fine sand and a coat of linseed oil

We now have 3 fine looking benches awaiting to be delivered to the sensory garden a few days before the opening of the garden in June 2009.

If you would like to find out or are interested in a workshop in wood with traditional methods then send Tom Adams a e-mail (tomtheappleman@yahoo.co.uk).

Xylophone going through its paces