By Bernie Bell

On Sunday 3^rd November, the weather was kind – a bit windy, but dry – and, with the help of the Orkney Army and Air Cadet Services and Marie Curie volunteers,  2,500 daffodil bulbs were planted at Arcadia Park, in the grassed area alongside Holm Branch Road, in a matter of an hour and a half.  They then went on to plant a number of wild roses and Rosa Rugosa bushes.

This was the largest Marie Curie daffodil planting project to date in Orkney.  Thanks to Bob MacKenzie, of O.A.C.A.S. http://www.oacas.org.uk/pages/about/about.php , we have some photos of the event.  That’s Bob, kneeling at the front of the first photo, accompanied by the hard working volunteers.

The second and third photos show the situation in relation to the new Balfour hospital, with the cadets, and ‘civilians’, making themselves useful, camouflaged nicely in the autumn landscape – well, maybe not the Hi-Viz jackets – but Health and Safety does matter, even when planting bulbs!

November 2019 planting

November 2019 planting

When I saw the pictures, my reaction was – Wow!  2,500 daffodils!  That’ll look amazing – what a splash of colour that will produce, come the spring. And…of course, they’ll clump up as well, as time goes on.

Once again, I’ll ask anyone with spare plants, or bulbs, to contact Bob on 01856 874 738 , or by email  at bobm@oacas.org.uk , about donating them to Arcadia Park, or, if you’re able, maybe going along and being part of the community effort yourself!

Arcadia Park is going  to be really something, in a few years.  I was talking with someone, who said it looks a mess, now, and I pointed out, that it’s just been landscaped, the soil has been disturbed, and the weeds are having a field-day, but, once the weeds are subdued a bit, and the plants get established and spread, it will be glorious.  All that’s needed, is a bit of imagination.  Some folk don’t realise that gardening isn’t instant – time and patience, as my Mum used to say. Time and patience.

I am well impressed by the idea of all those daffodils. I do have imagination – a bit too much, some might say!