Greening the Museum: A Year On

The arrival of Spring this year was accompanied by significant activity in the Museum’s gardens. The 13 raised beds of the ‘Dig for Victory’ garden were planted with vegetable seeds generously donated to the Museum by Growseed of Gowerton near Swansea.

Kale, radishes, carrots, peas, Brussel sprouts, runner beans, broad beans, basil, tomatoes and cucumbers were all planted, along with some sunflowers, fruit bushes and a bed of cosmos flowers. There are already signs of strong growth from the broccoli, basil, radishes and kale, so we are optimistic for a good harvest.

Radish plants in soil with lots of green leaves and red purple bulbs appearing from the soil. Inside a wooden planter.

Our radishes are thriving!

We have also installed a compost bin (inevitably known as Compost Corner, in a nod to the feature of the same name from Tiswas, the 1980s Saturday morning children’s TV show). The Museum’s staff are making regular contributions of vegetable peelings, egg shells and coffee grounds, so we expect some very good compost in future years, once nature takes its course with the contents.

The wildflower garden is also showing positive signs of growth and is already attracting some serious and welcome attention from bees. Some TLC is needed, but the portents are good.

Two images, left is of a tall, pale green flower stem with pink flowers, right is of several dark blue flowers among green long grass.

Lamb’s-ear and borage flowers are early sightings making our wildflower garden bright and colourful!

A white flower on a small vertical plant in a soil bed, with a bee sat on the flower. A bamboo cane is stuck in the soil next to the plant.

Bees have also made themselves at home on the flowers of our broad bean plants.

Further assistance from REME troops has allowed us to create a post and rope demarcation border around the plot, and also to install an accessible shingle path from the nearest concrete walkway.

A patch of long grasses and flowers is surrounded by a rope and wooden post fence. a black metal bench is in the middle of the garden, a building in the background.

The wildflower garden is neatly marked out and ready for visitors.

The Museum is always seeking volunteers, but we would particularly welcome offers of help with the gardens. Any time you can give us will be very gratefully received!

Read our earlier gardening blogs:

Richard Davies, Curator 

We would like to give thanks to all our wonderful partners for their support in this project. We especially acknowledge the Green Grant provided to us by South West Museum Development, with thanks to funding from Arts Council England.

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