Alive’s Secret Garden!

Our secret garden!
Jenny Dunn, Personal Trainer and Alive’s very own Horticulturist gives us the low down on Alive’s secret garden and how the changeable weather has affected the plants.
‘Well finally the rain abated and the sun came out! The garden has grown dramatically in all the stubborn rain we have had. Toby’s Cobea (commonly known as Cathedral bells) has done a fantastic job of almost completely covering the wooden fence on both sides. Considering this was only planted out earlier this year its growth is astonishing!
The sunshine we have had over the last week has encouraged out its stunning, big white bell shaped flowers (hence the name!) I am hoping that we will soon get some buzzing visitors attracted to this and the beautiful smelling honeysuckle which is now in full bloom.
Talking of visitors we have had a fair few amazing, punky, spiky long haired black and yellow caterpillars (much to Stephan’s horror!) These have more than quadrupled in size and now can be spotted in pupae form (if you look carefully enough) Soon emerge as much less flamboyant, rather conservative brown Vapourer moths.
We also have a magnificent bright green caterpillar which has eaten its way through our French bean plant, thank you very much! I believe it will turn into a Small White otherwise known as Cabbage White butterfly.
The Kiwi plant is running rampant along the wall of the Crèche and Neil’s tomato plant has loads of flowers on it, some already turning into small green tomatoes. So fingers crossed despite the best efforts of the Cabbage White caterpillar, we may be able to harvest a little for ourselves from the secret garden yet….

Check out the links below:
Cobea http://www.flickr.com/photos/35772983@N00/259971800/
Vapourer Moth Caterpillar http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/images/larvae/6112l.jpg
Vapourer Moth http://www.habitas.org.uk/moths/images/larvae/6112l.jpg

How does your garden grow?

How does your garden grow?

Over the past 8 months or so, Alive has begun to cultivate a small garden in the patio behind the creche and studio. It began with a few waif and stray plants that had been dotted around the gym and therapy rooms. These were joined by a chilli plant and some patio roses that looked half dead covered in whitefly! These were lovingly washed, pruned and tended back to health by Jenny, one of our trainers.
We have accumulated a garden full of plants now! Some have been rescued from roadsides and by bins, some have been donated by Toby, some cuttings and young plants from our members and others bought in by Jenny.
Our aim is to create a small oasis in the middle of our city which provides habitat and food for pollinating insects such a butterflies and bees. We are also hoping to have some feathered visitors once the climbing Honeysuckle, Cobia, Kiwi and Ivy has established up the walls. There is a “green roof” of Sedum planned on the top of the air con unit which we will have a birdbath on too. Hopefully the sales team will be able to watch birds drinking and bathing as they work!
We have Tomatoes, French beans, Cucumber and Strawberries that we hope to be able to harvest later in the Summer. The barren, unused space has been transformed into one that the children in the crèche can use and staff can sit out and enjoy on their break. It also provides interest when a much needed breather is required from those working hard in our studio classes!
Please feel free to come and take a look next time you are in the studio or look out of the windows in the gym stretching area. Give it a couple of months and you may be able to come down and pinch a Tomato or two!