Green Patch Celebration

Goodbye Green Patch

Our Green Patch project has now come to an end, all the artworks are installed and the celebratory evening was wonderful. We were delighted to see and hear all the happy faces and great comments about our Residency at the Green Patch, one of the nicest being "I love all the things you have added to the site and you have both become such a part of the Green Patch family". 

Many thanks to the members of the community who took part, all the wonderful volunteers who helped us, to The Green Patch and Groundworks team, especially Lucy, Allison, Nigel, Nikki, Caroline for providing the barbecue and Halloween decorations, Northamptonshire Community Foundation and the Community Development Foundation.

To see all the artworks created during the project please follow the link to our Flickr Sets which includes the Summer House Weather Installation, Rare Flowers sculpture, the pond sculpture, our large printed images around the office and stores, a bird mobile made from plastic bottles and work made with the community including signs and bunting! Lots of colour to keep the Green Patch bright and cheery into the winter months.

The work is staying permanently at the site, so do visit when you are in the area.

Thank you Green Patch, we had a lovely time! We won't forget you.

A view from the Weather Installation

The community gathering for the celebration by the polytunnels

A ray of light (inside the weather installation)

A shower of rain (inside the weather installation)

A fabulous end to a fabulous Residency!

Happily Crowded Summer House

Last week Green Patch gardener Merle spent a morning with us preparing and priming wooden signs, 

today she returned with her sister Mollie to paint designs on the signs. 

Mollie told Michael, who was back to help dig in some plants in the very hard ground, about her son's adventures as an engine driver and promised to return with some photographs

The sisters are an inspiring pair, full of kindness, intriguing stories about their experiences, practical information, growing tips  and a huge love of life. 

If the morning had been relatively quiet, the afternoon was a whirl of people and activity! 

We were joined by several new family groups, 

some of our regular participants and four of our Light Walkers.

Two new Green Patch volunteers arrived with three broken wheelbarrows

which were up-cycled into planters

A gardeners' hands with beautiful Turkish rings!

There was a lovely atmosphere with small groups painting signs, making more bunting and trying out the wax resist paintings. Parents were able to relax and explore their creativity with their children out in the fresh air. The children went to visit the ducks and chickens, ran up and down taking away old cardboard boxes, washing brushes and everyone sat on chairs, floor or grass talking happily and helping each other.

Gillie and his brother made beautiful signs, one for the Bees

one for the tomatoes .

Through the wonders of Twitter the lovely Shena Cooper founder of the Secret Seed Society came to visit Lucy and the Green Patch Team. Here she is with Gillie and his completed sign. The Secret Seed Society "believe in engaging young children with the natural world, and understanding where their food comes from want all children to experience the magic of growing vegetables from seed, and making edible concoctions with what they grow." They produce lovely illustrated books featuring Rio Rocket, Carla Carrot, Chrissie Cress, Rudie Radish, and Mingo Mug that come with seeds to plant and are a wonderful introduction the the fabulous world of growing, they also have the Seed Agent Club and great growing and cooking tips of adults and children!