Thank-you for the grant from BGU.
We put the grant towards purchasing a emissions free cordless electric Stihl BGA 57 leaf-blower and accessories (AK20 battery and AL101 charger). It will speed up the collection of fallen leaves, allowing the group to recycle more than in the past as leaf mould and improve the gardens soil structure. It will also reduce the time that the task of clearing leaves takes, allowing volunteers more time for other tasks.
It will enable us to grow more and better plants, make the garden paths safer and less slippery and improve the condition of the gardens lawns by stopping the build-up of leaves from killing the grass and other plants (wildflowers etc) so reducing the dead and muddy areas which occur if the leaves are not moved.
We always get many verbal compliments regarding our volunteering in the Walled and Rock Gardens during our Tuesday sessions. Most of the comments are of a general nature rather any specific projects. Hopefully in the Autumn when the full benefits of the leaf-blower are realised we hope people will see a considerable improvement in the gardens and as leaf-mould takes time to make over the next few years we hope the positive feedback will follow.
