Much has changed outside these railings over the past week, but much is the same too! The virus has not affected growing at all. In fact, these plants, birds and trees seem not to have noticed anything has happened in the slightest. Spring bulbs are now mostly in flower. Those donated out-of-date plants and bulbs have been given a new lease of life.

Jim and George were busy saving herbs this week, contributed to the food bank from supermarkets. Some only need a haircut to survive, but others like the basil can be separated and re-planted into smaller pots. We’re looking forward to some juicy tomatoes to go with our new basil plants.

We also got busy making an A-frame from pallets. This frame will be used to keep potted plants and herbs. It’s a nice way to make use of old wood, testing our DIY and problem-solving skills along the way.

Our ladies (chickens!) are feeding very well. They were served a fine selection of salad leaves, followed by cabbage, and courgette to finish off. There’s no finedining with our ladies – first come first served and you’d better gobble it up!

We need the help of a keen detective here. George is playing Holmes to Jim's Sherlock to find the footprint fiends. We planted salad leaves earlier this week and covered them with netting. We now discover the netting has been breached by a visitor…

We have also found some prints in the newly-levelled soil… they look distinctly chicken shaped… hmm!

The ladies are laying more frequently due to longer days and plenty of good things to eat. There are several places the hens choose to lay, but we think this little co-op is now becoming a favourite for one of our Black Rhode Island hens…

Ps: We need a small number of volunteers for the garden (up to three people at a time). We have two-hour slots Monday to Friday. Please fill in this form if you're interested in coming along!