Guest blog from Katrina Crosby this time.

After months of planning, preparing and hard work, our nails were bitten down to the quicks.  The night before the event, the marquees were constructed, the tables and chairs arranged, posters and signs had been blue-tacked to the walls and we nervously locked the door to Creich Hall behind us.  Then the nagging questions settled it, “will people really turn up?”.  We just had to hold our breath that it would be a nice day and try to get a few winks in before the big day.

Bright and early the next morning we were greeted by cheerful bunting waving us in.  Leaders, sellers and caterers arrived.  Boxes and bags full of supplies, goodies and equipment were emptied, while books filled the little library shelves and treasures were angled ‘just so’.  The buzz of excitement was building and before we knew it the doors were open and people started to come!

The bus filled up with those eager to learn about seaweed, hiking boots were donned and walkers set off.  Aprons were tied around waists, willow was bent, jars of gloomy goop turned into colour.  All sorts of smells wafted through the hall (mostly yummy but a wiffy one too) and smiles, lots and lots of smiles, lit up faces all around.

The Practical Plants Day was a huge success!  So many people booked into the courses and quite a few turned up for lunch or just to have a nosey around.  We have had amazing feedback and have taken on-board the sensible suggestions that were shared.  People walked away excited about what they had learned and proudly held on to the treasures they had helped to create!

We are already back around the table to start making next year even better!  So, thanks to everyone that organised, volunteered, helped and attended.  If you would like to join in on the planning, have a ‘plant skill’ that you would like to share (or know the perfect person who could), or an idea that might just be the thing we need, please contact us!

Katrina, Alex and Emily

01681 700 659

07717 581 405

or Practical Plants Day page on Facebook

There are lots of photos here if you would like to see what we got up to on the day!