The Flax Class of ’23

The first of our four new primary school modules goes “Seed to Shelf to Soil” with World Earth Day. As part of the Journeys in Design project, The Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden and a local school spent a cold, sunny day preparing the soil and planting flax seeds in the garden. Check out the ‘Learning with Linen’ and ‘#flaxScotland’ feeds on our Flax Futures webpage for more.

Thirty 9 year olds (Primary 5) from St. Mary’s Primary School and their teachers joined us in their local community green space.

With Jenny Bruce talking seeds to grow food, then John on flax to grow clothes, we took turns to till, sow and water, hoping to see blue flowering flax before summer term ends.

FLAX as an educational focus for growth towards soil health, biodiversity and climate justice.

The Linen Project

As part of the Journeys in Design Project run by John Ennis we have been growing flax in the garden. The flax was harvested on Monday #flaxScotland. John is now going to dry this flax and see if we can spin it into linen thread. To see more about the linen project here https://www.journeysindesign.com/about.

A Frantic Friday

Some of the Friends of Hopetoun Crescent Garden committee receiving the “big payout cheque” on Friday from the local Co-op Store.

Great news too, the HCG is to be one of their good causes again for next year. Thanks to all Coop members for selecting us. Join up at the Macdonald Road Co-op.

The garden also had a visit from Edinburgh City gardeners. Lots of holes drilled and bulbs planted, here’s hoping for a bumper display of snowdrops and daffodils come the spring.

Also, during the week we’ve had a local primary school using the garden as an outdoor classroom on several occasions, helped out by committee Member Jenny Bruce. A close by nursery also had an hour in the garden, which the toddlers seemed to enjoy, running through the willow tunnel and jumping off the logs.