WHITHORN EVERGREENS
2009/10 was an extremely busy time for us in Partnership with Sulwath Connections we were able to access Lottery Heritage money to develop Castle Hill Park. The park was a large area of grass with a few mature trees around the edges and a few items of play equipment. In November 2009 we started to plant a memory garden, people were asked to sponsor a tree in memory of a loved one or an anniversary and trees were planted. Eighty trees in all the majority native species, and over 2000 bulbs of various kinds, daffodils, crocus, grape hyacinths and snowdrops. All the children from the local primary school and helped plant a tree and at least 3 bulbs up or as we said "3 in a hole point side up". A bench was put in 200 year old seasoned oak and beautifully carved, on tree planting day the children were asked to draw things they would like carved on the bench and these were done in August 2009, the original drawings and a photo of the finished bench. Education about Bio-diversity was an essential part of the project and the primary school held a moth/bug day in summer 2010 to show children what creatures were sharing their town
All this meant that our normal maintenance around the town took a back seat, and will be framed and given to the school to remember the day. The weather was not kind to us after the planting firstly it poured down then it snowed and froze for months, after the thaw we had a prolonged dry spell so we will have lost some of those planted but it is our intention to replace them in November this year. A walk of tree stumps was put in to define the area planted with bulbs so that the council will know not to cut the grass there until the bulbs are over. This year the Minister held an open air service in the memory garden, the sun shone and every body was able to enjoy the music and the beautiful flower beds that were also put in and hopefully will be managed by the gardening club that has been set up at the school. So many things going on a Bat Hunt around the town, a very successful moth and bug day at the school and the Gala day in the park when we looked at the Fire station bed we realised it would have to be less labour intensive. Shrubs were thinned out old bushes taken up. The back half had membrane put down with chipped wood for mulch, 20 tons of it with new shrubs planted through all of which were donated by Claymodie Gardens without whom we would have been lost and the front will be developed as a herbaceous border, again Mrs Nicholson from Claymodie provided lots of plants. Bird and butterfly boxes were put up piles of logs left for hedgehogs and the new "bug hotel" was built. We have also put up bat boxes in places that they like to fly.
So all in all a busy time there was always the ongoing planting of tubs, more shrubs planted and the chipped bark replaced at the triangle, regular litter picks and weeding.
Judging day for Beautiful Scotland was the 9th August and we didn't find out until the 22nd of September that we had been awarded a silver medal for our work in the town, and a Special Endeavour award for our work in the park. One judge was commented that we had the longest sustainable border he had seen.
However much the judges were impressed our work was not only for them we are trying to make our wee town a beautiful as well as an interesting place to visit.
While our entry into Beautiful Scotland is important it only serves to highlight the tremendous amount of all the year round work that goes on in our town.
Plans for the future - things to tweak at the Fire Station - more bulbs to plant for spring maybe a look at the roundabout at the south entrance to the town and lots of work in our "green gym".
Want to know more about the Evergreens email us at
enquiries@evergreens.co.uk using the heading evergreens
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The park before we started
The path and flowerbed
The seating
A carving on the bench
Making a bog garden
moth day
another flowerbed
the first shrub planted at the Fire Station Bed
The "Bug Hotel"
Sunflower at the Fire Station