The Crafty Gardeners CIC are based in Wolverhampton. I help out once a month to share my horticultural skills on their allotment site. After each visit I write a monthly blog on Volunteering with the Crafty Gardeners.
Learning Disability Week , is an annual event during the 3rd week of June. This year it commences on the 16th June, and the theme is “ Do you see me ? “ which is all about people with a learning disability being seen , heard and valued .
The Crafty Gardeners are getting ready for an event to celebrate Learning Disability Week. The 18th of June will find us selling our plants and sharing our horticultural skills and knowledge.
Owing to the Crafty Gardeners great propagation skills, we had a vast amount of seedlings to pot up. It was definitely too hot for working in the polytunnel. Within a few minutes the potting bench was in a shadier place , which enabled us to start potting on our seedlings.
As we work, we always like to talk. Our initial conversation was all about the importance of wearing sun hats, drinking sufficient water to keep hydrated and taking regular breaks under the canopy of the fruit trees. Thankfully there was a good selection of spare hats in the shed – we decided the collection of knitted winter ones might not be our best choice ! Thankfully we found some sun hats, and we were ready to work .
As we potted the seedlings up, our discussion moved onto how we might use this produce, which led us to talking about the possibility of writing a cookery book , with our favourite recipes. Who doesn’t love cauliflower cheese? Roasted cauliflower with turmeric is truly delicious. Have you ever had cauliflower cheese soup ? What about roast Brussel sprouts ? We can highly recommend all of these. We just need to come up with some even more fantastic tasty recipes . You never know our book could be ready in time for sale at the Crafty Gardeners annual Christmas Fayre ?
Within a couple of hours, everything was potted up , watered and put back into the polytunnel. It was then time for us all to go home. It really was a very happy and productive day .
The plants, now have a couple of weeks to grow on , and we can then sell them at our event and offer recipe advice.
Are you going to any events to celebrate Learning Disabilty Week ? I very much hope so.
Sally Wicks 