COMMUNITY

The community plays a major part in helping to make St Peters an even lovelier place, and our Group is tremendously encouraged by the support and interest of people from within the parish and from other local groups and organisations.  We could not have achieved Gold or qualified for 'Britain in Bloom' 2010 without them.  This valuable community involvement includes working with youngsters in the parish through the school and youth organisations and with several charitable organisations who have a significant presence in St Peters

La Houguette School 

In 2009 the school was awarded the Queux Patio Plants Schools Award for the school that makes an outstanding contribution towards a community entry.

A Gardening Club for Year 2 children was set up by teaching assistant, Carolyn Way in 2008.  Carolyn was singled out for praise by the Floral Guernsey judges in 2009 for the way she is developing pupils' interest in plants and growing through this Club.

The Club is inspirational in nurturing the pupils' interest in nature and the life cycle of plants.

The aims of the club are:

            To show the link between working in the garden and eating fruit and vegetables

            To promote an appreciation of healthy food

            To encourage an understanding of the importance of conservation

            To foster a sense of responsibility and teamwork

            To encourage wildlife and develop an appreciation of nature

            To beautify an unattractive area of the school grounds

To introduce children to a hobby which they can share with their families and may last a lifetime.

Floral St Peters was delighted to provide planting and compost boxes, compost, watering cans and tools to help get the club off the ground.

BBC Visitors 

BBC Blue Peter's resident gardener Chris Collins visited the School in October 2008 to talk to members of the Gardening Club (pictured).

Toby Buckland with Ben Le Page and Jordan Harvey

And BBC Gardener's World presenter Toby Buckland went along in April 2009 to plant a tree assisted by Year 6 pupils Ben Le Page and Jordan Harvey. During his visit he met Gardening Club members and showed them how to plant out young vegetable plants.

Restoring a garden - Our Group has been working with Nigel Clarke of Queux Patio Plants, the PTA and Year 5 pupils to restore what had become a 'no-go' area in front of the school in to a pleasant, colourful garden where children can get involved with helping to keep the area a pleasure to visit.

A legacy project The gunpit in the Mirus Battery needed a bit of tlc - so we got together with a band of 'Give an Hour' volunteers and the PTA to tidy it up.  Then we involved Year 5 pupils in planting plants which will attract wildlife to the area. 

La Société Guernesiase

In 2007 Floral St Peters provided nesting boxes for the Silbie Nature Reserve to replace existing boxes which were in a poor state of repair.

Jamie Hooper the Conservation Officer of La Société and Managing Director of Environment Guernsey told us that the use of bird boxes, even in a rural setting on the Island is very important. He said that Guernsey does not have any ancient woodland like the UK has, and it’s the old, gnarled trees which provide holes and nesting places for a lot of birds. Since our woodlands are relatively young, in tree terms, it is important that we supplement these natural areas by providing bird boxes to give additional nesting areas.

In 2009 we helped to fund new signage at the entrance to the Nature Reserve which provides information about what can be seen in the area.

Another La Société site is the Colin Best Nature Reserve. In February 2010 we provided and planted 35 hawthorn trees to screen a clay mound. The trees were provided from our 'Make a Difference Fund' and will help to enhance the wildlife habitat of the area.

La Société also manages the Orchid fields at Les Vicheries in the parish.

National Trust

We are working with the National Trust and Culture and Leisure Department to extend the path on National Trust land at La Rue de Braye , this is the one way lane which leads from L'Eree to Lihou car park.  Currently the path ends at a seat overlooking the Colin Best Nature Reserve, we hope that it can be extended to provide a footpath through the gorse and scrub and round the Le Creux és Faies, the prehistoric dolmen further along the lane.

Details of an interesting walk around the L'Eree headland can be found at
www.biologicalrecordscentre.gov.gg/ramsarwalk  This 4.3km walk covers the RAMSAR site and takes in La Société Guernesiaise nature reserves, National Trust properties, dolmen and L'Eree coastal area.

Lihou Charitable Trust

Lihou Island falls within the bounds of St Pierre du Bois and we are pleased to support the wonderful work being undertaken by the Trust.  When the project began to clear the overgrown garden and establish new planting we donated funds towards the hire of a rotovator, garden tools and conservation grade grass seed. 

Business community

Businesses in St Peter's are always keen to join in the spirit of Floral Guernsey with stunning displays outside their premises throughout the summer. Many businesses provide floral displays during the winter too and ensure that their 'road frontage' is kept neat and tidy.  They, like our Group are 'proud of this parish'.

A record number of entries took part in the 2010 'Classic Flowers' Best Floral Business Award. Judges were Les Hutchinson, co-ordinator for Cayton in Bloom, the Yorkshire village which competed alongside St Peter's in the 'Britain in Bloom ' Large Village category; and Brett Moore head Gardener in Herm.  They toured the parish to inspect all 13 entries before awarding first prize to the Western Community Centre.

The judges said 'The Western Community Centre displays are totally outstanding. The caretaker is to be commended.  They provide a good introduction to horticulture for the children and young people using the Centre encouraging in them an appreciation of their environment.' All the displays we have seen are of an extremely high standard and show a real pride in the parish' 

Highly commended certificates were awarded to Beau Vallon Holiday Apartments, The Granary Self Catering Apartments and the Venture Garage.

Western Community Centre winner of the 2010 Classic Flowers Best Floral Business Award A Guernsey Press photographer takes a shot of Brett and Les judging at the Western Community Centre

Western Parishes Community Centre

The Western community Centre Youth Development Project team (YDP) applied to our 'Make a Difference' fund for a grant towards floral enhancement. Caretaker Terry Hann and YDP Chairman Tony Vidamour are working tirelessly to change drab surroundings into a cheerful spectacle of colour and interest.
In March 2009 and 2010 Nigel Clarke of Queux Patio Plants sponsored container planting workshops at Styx Youth Club. These colourful creations were on display in June at the Hidden St Peter's weekend and later in the community garden.

Children at Styx and the Daisy Chain pre-school are encouraged to look after plants around the Centre.

Containers created by Styx on display at the Community Garden

St Peter's School Flats

Basic maintenance of the grounds at the flats at Les Brehauts (which had been the parish school), is carried out by the States Public Services Department.  However residents Carol and Alan Bateman were keen to turn the planted areas in to pleasant gardens.

Carol Bateman at St Peters School Flats

They have created areas of colour and year round interest which are a delight for all who pass the flats, and greatly impressed the  Floral Guernsey judges.  To show our support for their efforts we gave Carol and Alan a donation from our 'Make a Difference' fund towards their costs.

Allotments

Four allotments have been established at Paul Domaille's Le Marinel Vinery. These are all rented to western parishes residents and are producing crops of veg throughout the year.

Church Sunday Club

During the Autumn of 2008 children gathered in the Rectory Garden to plant daffodil bulbs at the start of the new circular walk, these Spring blooms now provide a lasting legacy for the children to enjoy. In December 2009 members of the Club joined other youngsters to create and place 'bug hotels' in Le Ch'min du Trésor.

Recycling

Recycling is part of modern life but have you ever stopped to consider if you can reduce the waste you accumulate in the first place?

The waste hierarchy is about just that. The less we collect, the less there is to dispose of. At best we don't buy it, at worst it goes to landfill.

There are many steps we can take to help the situation and pave the way for a greener island. Here are just a few:

In the home

• Buy goods with the minimum amount of packaging, and recycle what there is
• Use rechargeable batteries and long-life bulbs
• Avoid disposable goods such as razors
• Buy in bulk with the largest containers and preferably ones that can be reused.
• Use resealable containers for packed lunches and leftovers
• Use the blank side of used paper for scratch paper, ie your  telephone notepad
• Reuse envelopes when possible
• Rent or borrow seldom used equipment instead of buying
• Look for things in charity shops, car boot sales, BBC Guernsey's Ring and Buy or the Guernsey Press E-cycle column

In the garden

• Break up polystyrene plant trays to use as lightweight drainage material in pots and tubs
• Use a leaky old boot, paint can or battered football as an unusual plant container 
• Leave grass clippings on your lawn. It recycles nutrients and reduces thatch
• Collect fallen leaves in the autumn in old compost bags. Make sure they are wet and tie up the bags.  In a year or so they will have broken down into a rich mulch.
• Use old envelopes to collect seeds from favourite plants. When completely dry seal the seeds in the envelope and store until ready to plant.  Remember to write the name of the plant (and the colour) on the outside of the envelope.
• Use lengths of old gutters to plant seeds. Fill gutters with compost, water well and sprinkle seeds on top. Cover with black polythene until seeds germinate (check daily). Once established gently slide the seedlings out of the gutter and in to a shallow trench in the vegetable patch.
• Dig up and divide established perennials in the autumn and either re-plant or donate to friends and neighbours - or to Floral St Peter's projects!
• Seaweed provides a great winter mulch. Take a plastic dustbin down to the beach and fill it up with this 'free' fertiliser to give your garden a treat.
• For an early crop of potatoes plant chitted tubers in old compost bags and grow them in the greenhouse

Be 'water wise'

• Line the inside of terracotta pots with polythene before filling them. This helps reduce evaporation through the side of the pots and reduces the need to water. Do make a drainage  hole in the bottom of the pots first!
• Place a saucer under pots in the summer. Any excess water that drains out of the pot is saved in the saucer and can be re-used by the plant.
• Sink an empty pot or plastic bottle (upside down with the bottom cut off) next to thirsty plants. Water directly into the pot and it will soak down to the roots.
• Herbs, grasses, lavenders and most silver-leaflet plants need less water  than most, try planting them in dry areas.
• During the summer water early in the morning or after the sun has lef t the garden. A good soaking is much more effective than a quick spray.
• Collect rainwater from your gutters in a water butt.

Links

St Pierre du Bois
Britain in Bloom competition route - Monday 2nd August starting at 9am.
(Revised 5 July 2010)

As a finalist in the Large Village category we are allocated 1.5 hours for the judging route plus 15 minutes for a presentation and a further 15 minutes for media interviews.

We plan to meet the judges on the Green at Les Buttes and cross to the Douzaine Room for a presentation when we will give them an outline of what is ahead and tell them about areas they will not see on the route.

From the Douzaine Room we shall go to look at the gardens at the Old School Flats and meet some of the residents, through on foot to the Post Office where the judges will see the floral tubs and our notice board and then to the Community Garden. By car through Les Brehauts junction (observing businesses and floral containers en route) to St Peters Food Hall/Arrowsmith Marlowe/NatWest to show them the renovated border, boundaries and floral containers. By car we shall return to Les Brehauts, pass the Church and turn right in to Route de Longfrie. The Judges will note the Longfrie Surgery and be driven in to the Western Community Centre to observe the horticultural activities and meet the caretaker.

Leaving the Centre we shall turn right, viewing the Fief Seat at the T junction and turn right. Then drive through the Longfrie Inn car park. We shall drive through La Croix cemetery car park to show them the line of trees planted last year by 54 pupils from La Houguette School - and meet some of the children involved. Right in to La rue de L'Eclet and via the Venture Garage back down La rue des Vinaires. Right in to La rue des Juliennes and right again. On La Route des Paysans we shall turn left as far as La rue du Lorier where we shall take a detour to show the judges the area entered in the RHS 'It's My Neighbourhood' Award. Messrs Le Page and Baudains prize winning front gardens are included here. Then on to the school where teachers, PTA members and pupils will tell the judges about their horticultural efforts.

Next stop will be the Colin Best Nature Reserve where the judges will be shown the hawthorns planted by Give an Hour volunteers in February. Leaving the Reserve at Les Sablons we shall drive along the coast to la rue du Douit du Moulin to show the judges the parish coastline where we plan to work next year.  Then La rue du Bordage pausing at Mille Fleurs, down la rue de Quanteraine passing the National Trust water wheel and The Granary.

At La rue de L'Eglise we shall turn left and park at de Beauvoir Cemetery. Judges will walk through the cemetery and down to Le Ch'min du Trésor to join the 'St Peter's Food Hall Community Picnic' giving them a chance to meet our supporters, Give an Hour volunteers and the media.

Along the route we shall point out aspects which demonstrate the parish's activity in the three core pillars of *horticultural achievement *environmental responsibility *community participation.

It is impossible to include everything that we would like to show to the Judges and we hope that we have chosen a route that will demonstrate much that goes to make St Pierre du Bois such a special place.