Glenfarg & Duncrievie in Bloom

GDIB was formed in 2005 with the aim of improving the appearance of Glenfarg & Duncrievie with the help of all residents. From the beginning there has been great emphasis on youth involvement through creation of school gardens and Duke of Edinburgh Award candidates’ service. The group has created several horticultural displays, many linked to the history of Glenfarg. GDIB maintain the central feature, the Glenfarg Green, with its collection of over 100 different species of tree and village pond, in addition to the shared maintenance of the orchard with the pupils of the Primary School. Recycling and sustainability has played a large part in the group’s activities as does inclusivity with involvement of all ages and abilities.

Horticultural Achievement 2018 - 2019

August - October This period is perhaps one of the busiest periods for GDIB combining watering duties, gentle maintenance of displays and permanent areas and laying the plans for next season. The Open Gardens fundraiser gave the opportunity for experts from Perth & District Fuchsia Society to pass on some tips and for visitors to check out the wild flowers and fruit trees of the community orchard. The Glenfarg Green tree collection was inspected and several specimens identified for remedial actions. Lovely October days were perfect for bark spreading.

November - FebruaryThe War Memorial site features permanently planted poppies but with no flowers in November GDIB recruited knitters, potters and carpenters to create a special display for Armistice Day.

The Glenfarg Green maintenance continued throughout the winter, weather permitting.

March - July

• Plug plants grown on in GDIB’s greenhouse - many more grown on by school and greenhouse owners throughout village.

• Train Stop garden maintenance.• Glenfarg Green clean up weekend - oldest volunteer 80 year old Alex.• Spring planters add a splash of colour.• School Railings bulbs peeping through• More pruning at Dupplin permanent planted feature. • Glenfarg Green - Springtime

• School eco-greenhouse repaired and raised beds planted.

• Train Stop garden in Spring.• Pond Cleaning.

Environmental Responsibility

GDIB has always promoted the importance of caring for the whole environment and does not just concentrate on stunning floral displays. With this ethos the group recycles and reuses as much as possible, encourages wildlife in all its forms and encourages self sufficiency in food production. Bird boxes, bat boxes and a “bug hotel” have all been installed on Glenfarg Green where the pond is maintained to a level where all forms of pond-life exist. When carrying out the major task of pond clearing, any removed vegetation is left on the bank for over 24 hours to allow any displaced creatures to make their way back home. Vegetable and herb growing is carried out with the school children and the group’s plant sales always include a range of “grow your own”. The orchard features planting of native wild flowers around the trees and several hazelnut trees are proving popular with the red squirrels. GDIB makes use of the “free compost” from local authority recycling centres.

All creatures great and small in all seasons

• Raised beds made from timbers of old shed.• Greenhouse made from plastic bottles• Second hand planters refurbished.• Plant stall at village Fete

Community EngagementGDIB’s logo, which was designed by primary school children, bears the motto “A Community Making A Difference” and this forms the basis of all that GDIB does.Involving the local primary school in many activities brings together not only the children and the older (retired) volunteers but also forms the connections with parents and teachers. The cubs, beavers, scouts and brownies are frequently recruited for litter collection in addition to taking care of some of the raised beds on Glenfarg Green. The community orchard, jointly maintained by GDIB and the school, has provided an excellent educational tool in environmental studies and even provides ingredients for great apple crumble.There are activities in the village where GDIB may take the lead but the greater community takes an active role. The creation of GDIB’s poppy display at the War Memorial in November spanned all generations from elderly knitters and hobby joiners to children’s ceramic creations.

And sometimes it’s just about having fun like our Flowerpot Men competition with its various categories.

The support of local businesses financially and in kind is a very important part in ensuring the survival of a group such as GDIB but the greatest aspect of Community Involvement is the input of volunteers -• the litter pickers and the street furniture washers• the greenhouse owners who grow on the plug plants• the pruners, the weeders, the rakers and the pond cleaners• the waterers and the grass cutters• the machine and equipment maintainersand all the others who together have created “A community making a difference”

FINANCE & SPONSORSHIP

• Large projects funded by grant applications• Sponsorship from local businesses• Donations of plants and seeds from Dobbies Garden Centre• Fund raising - Open Gardens, quiz sheets, window stickers• Loose change jar in Village Store• Share of funds from Glenfarg Fete

• Earnside Coaches, Glenfarg Garage and Normile Racing receive “Thank You” for their support.

• Arngask Primary accept donation of seeds and tools from Dobbies.• GDIB Treasurer accepts “Loose Change” jar from Village Store

Plans For The Future

2019-2020 will see improvements made to 4 areas of hard and soft landscaping in addition to enhancing the South verge with planters and permanent planting.

• The entrance to Glenfarg Green from Greenbank Road is badly affected by requirement for occasional vehicle access e.g. skip delivery. It is planned to have an area of hard surface created which will alleviate the “muddy” problem for vehicles and pedestrians alike. The heavy gate will also be replaced with a more user friendly one.

• The steep access to GDIB’s garage will be redone with permanent surface and side bankings made stable.

• The wall at the “Dupplin” area on Main Street will be repaired and the area behind the wall levelled with top soil creating an opportunity for creation of a wild flower area.

• The school railings will be refurbished

The South verge has over the years seen great improvement with the restoration of the historic railway wall, the clearing of overgrown vegetation and dangerous trees, the planting of spring bulbs and maintenance of the grass verge. Funding has just been secured for the purchase of permanent planters and planting. Installation of these is expected to be completed August/September 2019.

Appendix

Press and Publicity