It’s been a busy 6 months down at Westthorn Allotments!

Since the beginning of 2011, CCA have been working on developing and continuing the work at the site at Westthorn, to transform it from an empty lot ridden with brambles and worst of all – Giant Japanese Hogweed – into a site that can be used by a wide range of community and educational activities.

In JANUARY, we worked with a group of BTCV volunteers, building a fence from natural materials on site, clearing rubbish, and using the remnants of Tatham and O’Sullivan’s sculpture to suppress weeds!

In FEBRUARY, we hosted a residency “Growing Exchange”(click for more information) with artists Alex Wilde (Glasgow) and Annechien Meier (The Hague, Netherlands). Alex and Annechien spent one month researching, interviewing and working with garden projects around the city. They also hosted an event at the CCA’s sites Westthorn and in Drumchapel with an amazing temporary shelter they constructed. They worked with Dutch filmmakers who produced a short video about their project you can view here. Although the first part of the residency is finished, Alex and Annechien are continuing to work together at Stroom Gallery in The Hague, and will hopefully continue their project with CCA in the months to come!

In MARCH, the ground finally defrosted, and we hosted a Tree Planting Workshop with John Hancox from Commonwealth Orchards and the Playbusters’ Environment Group as part of their Grow Green with Glasgow’s East End program.

In APRIL we hosted our very first volunteer day, with artist Joshua Duncan hosting a compost-bin making workshop. We also had a visit from the young Backcourt Gardeners who helped us plants herbs and cabbages!

With MAY sunshine came the blooming of plants – including our veg from the previous year, rhubarb, kale, and chives YUM YUM!   Unfortunately this also meant the return of the dangerous Hogweed! However, our new resident gardener Mark Hesling has done a great job removing the Hogweed from the main section of the site!

So this brings us to JUNE, and summer is officially here (despite the rain)! This summer, we have three more Saturday volunteer days with workshops, and we’d love your help and involvement!! Our volunteer days will run from 12-4 pm with a focus on a different topic and activities each month. For more information, email education@cca-glasgow.com

JUNE 25TH WEEDS AND INVASIVE SPECIES WORKSHOP with Mark Hesling

JULY 23RD TEMPORARY SHELTER WORKSHOP with Alex Wilde and James McLardy

AUGUST 20TH BIODIVERSITY AND PERMACULTURE WORKSHOP with Lusi Alderslowe

Keep an eye on these projects and other strands that may be blooming in the year to come!

Thanks for reading and looking forward to digging with you!!

Emilia, Education/Outreach Intern

education@cca-glasgow.com

We’ve been working hard during the good weather to make some good progress at the Westhorn allotment.  Unfortunately the weeds are steadily growing back after months of clearing the site, but we’re continuing to plough away at it and have now erected some raised beds and barrel beds.  If you have good tips for keeping weeds at bay, leave us some comments, or better still, get involved.

These are some images of the site from four days of hard graft.