Dear friends 

Welcome to the Autumn newsletter. The gardens and our volunteers have been busy with community workshops and events all summer funded by our Community Fund 'Tyfu gyda'n gilydd' / 'Growing together' project.  We have been lucky with the best of weather for most of these days. Now autumn has arrived, and we are enjoying this quieter more contemplative season. 

Highlights from this newsletter include reports from  community events, the winners of our Summer Photography Competition, and appointment of a new Assistant Volunteer Coordinator.    

Community Workshops 

Summer and autumn workshops have included Meadow Themed Sensory Play, Natural Dyeing, Photography, and Climate Friendly gardening (see below). We are still asking participants to bring masks for any undercover or close work, and to stay socially distanced from others - thank you everyone for your cooperation with this. 

Looking for inspiration at the photography workshop with Jean Napier MA.

Climate Cymru week
Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens volunteers took part in 3 events as part of Climate Cymru week. We had an information stall at the Ein Cymuned, Ein Hinsawdd / Our Community, Our Climate event on 19th September, hosted a Climate Friendly Gardening workshop with author Kim Stoddart on 23rd Sepember, and held a Tree Harvest Festival (see below) on 26th September, to celebrate our local trees and tree harvests.  

Kim Stoddart gave tips on making gardens resilient to climate change. 

Community Events 
Community events in the gardens have included a Scything Fair, Pollinator Festival and a Tree Harvest Festival.  Many visitors have said how much they enjoyed being able to come along to these small outdoor events. 

At the sunny Scything Fair we had an excellent mix of experienced and novice scythers and managed to get nearly all the meadow scythed and raked.  We also learnt how to use a 'hook and crook' to cut awkward edges.

We have had outdoor children's wildlife and art workshops at the Pollinator and Tree Harvest Festival, and fabulous music from local musicians Zaffiro Band and Sunshine Jazz Band. People brought their own apples to chop, scratter and press into juice at the Tree Harvest Festival day, which was great fun. 

'Scratting' apples at the Tree harvest Festival before pressing into delicious juice. 

Sunshine Jazz, autumn crafts, and damson cake at the Tree Harvest Festival.

Local grower Lynn Williams brought two boxes of pasteurised apple juice, made from her local (Friddgate) fruit, which was pressed at the Tree Harvest Festival. We are all looking forward to the delicious apple juice at drop in sessions, as well as warm spiced juice on colder days.

Friddgate apple juice for volunteers. 

Summer Photography Competition
Thank you to everyone who participated in our Summer Photography Competition. We held a prize giving ceremony and exhibition in the community gardens on 13th September.

First prize for adults went to David Leppard, who received a £60 meal voucher from the Wynnstay Hotel. First prize under 18s was Henry Brown, who received £60 from electrical company Bright Sparks. Second prize went to Siân Campion, receiving a hose donated by Travis Perkins, and highly commended winners were Louise Smith, receiving a £10 voucher from Dyfi Wholefoods, and Pat Leppard, receiving a £10 voucher from Blodyn Tatws.  Thank you so much to all these local sponsors.

1st Prize for adults went to David Leppard for this macro photo of Echinops. 

The winning photos are on our website and in a mini exhibition in the Save the Children Shop in Machynlleth, for appreciation and voting  for the 'People's Choice' award -  the winner will receive a £10 voucher from Pen'rallt Gallery Bookshop and a photography book of choice by Jean Napier MA. The closing date for voting will be 15th October. 

Henry recieves 1st prize for Under 18s from Mark Clive of Bright Sparks. 

Volunteering in the gardens
Volunteers have been helping with seasonal jobs in the gardens, such as seed saving, weeding, sowing and planting. Also, we have  started clearing and planning a new border for the Apothecary Garden, which will feature witch hazel, bog myrtle and perennial medicinal herbs. As ever, at this time of year, we try to balance keeping the garden tidy for visitors, while ensuring there are still winter homes for wildlife too, such as leaves, stems and seedheads for insects and birds. 

Teasel provides seeds for goldfinches in the autumn. 

Five Ways to Well Being at Gerddi Bro Ddyfi
The Five Ways to Wellbeing are core to our work at GBDG. These are actions which promote wellbeing, and are: Connect, Be Active, Take Notice, Keep Learning and Give. At the community gardens we strive to offer all these ways to wellbeing for our volunteers and supporters.  Come along to a drop in session and improve your well being! 
 
Our inclusive drop in sessions are on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10.30 am to 4pm. All are welcome, whatever your experience and level of fitness, just come along for a chat and a cuppa to see what we do. 

Autumn workshops 
We have various nature based art and craft workshops coming up in the next few months, to help our local community through the darker winter days.  Upcoming workshops will include carpentry, mindfulness, and autumn/winter craft activities, including seasonal decorations and wreaths, for November and December.

Keep an eye on our website, facebook page and local media to get the latest dates and information about these.

Appointment of new Assistant Volunteer Coordinator
We have a new Assistant Volunteer Coordinator, Fern Towers, who started in August. Previously Fern managed an organic 'care' farm in Northern Ireland, and is doing a part time Masters course at the Centre for Alternative Technology in Sustainable Food and Natural Resources.  As well as  helping coordinate our volunteer gardening sessions and kids' group, Fern is looking at future fundraising ideas and is going to update our Instagram account to reach a wider audience. 

New Assistant Volunteer Coordinator Fern (left) with volunteer Rachel.

Kids group
Fern has taken over the kids' group from Anita, and has been leading nature based activities such as making wild collages, and pine cone bird feeders.  The next kids group will be on Tuesday 12th October 1.30 to 3.30pm.  Parents or guardians need to stay at the session with their children. 

A wild collage made at the kids' group. 

Groups using the gardens
Many community groups have been using the gardens for activities, including Machynlleth Biodiversity Group, Samba Band Drumming, Chess Club, a 'World of Wildflowers' event, and a community theatre group which put on a play: All the World's a Stage, with "music, laughter and Shakespeare". 

If you would like to use the gardens for an activity or event, do please get in touch through the webpage - to check there isn't another event going on. There is no charge to use the gardens - although donations are welcome. 

Outdoor Chess Club in the gardens this summer. 

New Committee Members
We are pleased to welcome two new members to our committee, Sophie and Mel. If you would like to support the community gardens by joining our committee as a member or co-opted member, do please get in touch. There are lots of ways to help the gardens as a committee member, from helping organise, publicise and set up events, to planning for the future, and supporting the administrative side of Gerddi. 

We hope to see you soon,

Gerddi Bro Ddyfi Gardens Team