After the last workshop in 2019 to make plastic free seasonal decorations no more workshops were run in the financial year. Due to the Government recommendations to combat the Covid 19 pandemic the courses and the Open Days for 2020 were first delayed and then cancelled. The winter maintenance programme to prepare the site for the new season continued.
To make the start of the Forest Garden walk more appealing for visitors a new bed was designed and planted keeping Robert Hart’s principles in mind; oxeye daisies and verbena bonariensis for the bees and the environment; marbled photinia and cotinus for colour and cut flower foliage; sambucas nigra for pink elderberry champagne and a szechuan pepper which has already yielded a few substitute pepper corns.
The second year of the greenhouse proved fruitful demonstrating the sustainable circular system of scraps from the kitchen and the garden used in the cold and hot composter, and the wormery, which with the water harvested from the roof provides the salads back in the kitchen.
Every opportunity was taken to show individuals the site bringing people closer to nature.
Learning about the birds and the bees.
The last event of the year, five cyclists using Woodmill as a refreshment break on their way to raising £2000 for their charity.
Other activities by the trustees were setting up an online seedbank, providing 200 hours of voluntary work at Dovehouse a local community garden, and supporting the setting up of an aviary at the allotment site in Yoxall by providing some equipment.
The winners at Woodmill this year were definitely the wildlife which thrived.