Mayfield Secret Garden, Stirling Libraries

by Victoria Hutcheson, Community Information Librarian at Stirling Council Libraries and project lead, for Green Libraries Week 2024

Introduction

Stirling Council Libraries were thrilled to receive CILIPS Green Libraries Scotland Grant Fund in 2024, enabling us to start work on our ‘Mayfield Secret Garden’ project: adopting a holistic approach to library-led environmental action that integrates education, community engagement, sustainability and technology by ‘taking back’ an overgrown garden space to benefit library and community centre users. Our plan was for the library to offer accessible workshops and educational programmes that blend the use of traditional library resources (books, e-books and e-magazines) with practical, outdoor learning experiences on themes like biodiversity and upcycling: using Mayfield Secret Garden as a base from which to lead intergenerational Citizen Science projects and work with Stirling Libraries’ existing Maker Space.

Progress to date

Library staff initially drew up a project plan that involved developing a detailed garden layout considering accessibility, low maintenance and clear paths to fire doors. Staff reached out to local organisations including Braehead Community Gardens and Stirling Council’s Justice Team who were extremely helpful with advice on layout, planting and local garden suppliers to approach.

A request was made to the Justice Team to carry out unpaid work on our garden and they provided free labour on the ground clearance work, suggesting running a path across the grass. This was done neatly with a turfer and edged with some wooden slats for maintenance. The path was laid with a chip that is fairly cheap compared to slabs but also suitable for wheelchairs, buggies etc.

On one side of the path, there would be a flower bed. The path would lead to a pond and an archway that would provide shade for the pond/decoration. Along the wall with the windows there would be some raised beds and a bench. On the left hand side, we would include storage for the compost bin/water butt and also room for some more raised beds. The Bramble bush needed trimmed back and the briars growing in the Acer trees were removed. We are currently in the process of ordering the raised beds, bench and timber to edge the path. A meeting has been set up with a local company who use recycled plastic for projects such as raised beds.

At the same time, we took part in Stirling’s Pride celebrations by working with Transition Stirling to host a eco craft session for children using recycled milk cartons to make a rainbow flower display.

Staff have also created several green book displays in both the adult and junior areas of the library including books on gardening tips, wildlife and eco-friendly projects.

 

Staff organised an open evening in the library during Scottish Climate Week to highlight gardening projects in the local area. Representatives from Braehead Community Gardens, The Butterfly Conservation, Treelink, Bannockburn House, St Ninians Primary, The Conservation Volunteers and Woodcraft Folk. On the Verge handed in leaflets. Braehead brought along tomatoes to try, there was a butterfly identification activity and the TCV made seedbombs. We had a stand with photographs and board to submit ideas for the secret garden (we got lots of good ones) including requests for a Bug Hotel and a reading bench with shelter from the wind! Local Councillors and representatives from the local community councils also all came along to find out more.

Next Steps

 

Library staff plan to establish a community group during Green Libraries Week that will help to design and maintain our Mayfield Secret Garden. We have drafted a constitution for the group to read over and amend. We have also identified key roles and will appoint people to those as well as keeping a list of interested people for moving forward with the project.

Also for Green Libraries Week, we are working in collaboration with Braehead Community Gardens and the Butterfly Conservation for a Greener Libraries event where we will be doing some planting of pollinator plants and storytelling in the big poly tunnel with the school children. The aim is to help build links with the school and their local allotments, help build up their own school garden. We worked with Alice at the Butterfly Conservation to mark out an area near the library for planting a wildflower meadow. The Council have agreed not to cut the grass and working together with On the Verge, we are be hoping to sow during Green Libraries Week as well, with the help of volunteers in the community.  We have also discussed using this area for future Citizen Science project to promote the success of the meadow.

In addition, we will be using our newly acquired film license to show a screening of Wall-E as part of the Stirling Science week and will most likely tie this in with some eco-friendly craft session that ties in with the film’s environmentally friendly message.

Already much progress has been made in engaging with the community and getting local people and organisations on board. We feel that is very important and we are confident that our garden is continuing to grow, and we look forward to the next chapter.

Return to the Green Libraries Scotland Grant Fund main page.