Newport Can Do garden project: Part four

Newport Can Do will be working with the staff and students of the ILS Department at Crosskeys Campus Coleg Gwent, to build an outdoor classroom and garden, thanks to the National Garden Scheme.

The garden will have an accessible path accessing all areas. There will be flowers and vegetables grown, which through the summer will be open to the public to do a summer sale.

Image of a crowd facing away from the camera. One of the women in the crowd has her hand in the air.

The outdoor classroom and garden will also be open to the public to take part in community courses throughout the year. There will also be a small animal section of the garden. 

The outdoor classroom will be an eco- friendly construction, with plants that grow on the roof and down the sides; with the possibility of French doors to be open up throughout the warmer months.

Waiting game

The last few months we have been patiently waiting for the final details of the planning permission to be accepted, ready for us to begin laying the foundations for the outdoor classroom to be put into its new home.

Once the processing of the planning is all agreed the classroom will be delivered by crane and put into position.

The paths can then be placed ready for the flower beds and a containing garden fence put around the boarders of the garden.

There is a lot to consider, plan, and do on this project. Everyone involved is incredibly excited and looking forward to it all.

Safety first

In the last couple of months we also had a visit from South Wales Fire Service, who did a fire safety workshop with the students.

Two South Wales firefighters giving a talk on fire safety

They discussed the dangers of grass fires and arson. This has been held in relation to the terrible, local, grass fires up Twmbarlwm Mountain, as well as their own college fire that damaged their sensory garden, which has thankfully been given a new lease of life and all looks beautiful. 

The students gave amazing input, with South Wales Fire Service delivering an engaging workshop. 

Thank you to all involved that day and to all that came along.

We hope this safety message will be passed on to other people, and will help people in the future when looking after their own outdoor areas, as well as other areas of our beautiful countryside and wildlife.