It actually rained on a Wednesday morning! But our reward for working through the rain was a glorious rainbow 
We finished assembling the compost bins and they’re nearly full already. Next stage will be camouflage with trellis and climbing plants. We also collected loads of leaves and pruned the phygelius, which gave us even more to compost.
Our first Annual General Meeting is on Tuesday, 2nd December, 7.30 – 8.30pm at Trinity Academy. Tea, coffee, biscuits and cakes will be served.
Non members welcome.
The compost bins are taking shape now and there’s plenty compost to fill them, with leaves, weeds and prunings all abundant.
Last year’s winter bedding is still providing a show despite facing north and growing in the shade of the cherry trees.
The compost bins (courtesy of our Waste Action Grant) arrived yesterday in very flat packs. Construction is already underway. Nothing looks too difficult but substantial use of the screwdriver will be necessary. With decent weather, they should be in place by the end of next week.
Winter bedding has been planted in the park, many thanks to Julie and her team for all their hard work. We’re looking forward to a great show of primulas, tulips, crocus and hyacinth through the winter and into spring.
Janet has replanted the Friends of Starbank Park boat – bulbs and winter bedding.
And you can see Starbank Park from Newhaven Harbour which looking particularly pretty in the sun this afternoon.
Another fine autumn morning at the park on Wednesday! We spent our time tidying and weeding, getting ready for the winter bedding plants. 
The Friends were not the only busy people in the park. The painters and joiners have started the renovation work on Starbank House and parts of the Laverockbank Road boundary wall are being repointed, all excellent news.
The Friends of Starbank Park have been weeding together for a year! It was a good excuse for a celebration, so we had coffee and birthday cake (thanks Liz) in the park, then a birthday lunch in the Starbank Inn (which was excellent!).
But we did do some work today, weeding, tidying and preparing for the compost bins. Sandy did a brilliant job on the crescent. 
Busy day in the park, we were weeding, tidying (especially leaves) and a little bit of planting. The autumn colours dominate and the leaves are falling fast but there were still a few signs of summer. A young assistant spotted a two spot ladybird, there are still a few roses and there’s plenty colour in the primiulas in the south border.
Lots happened while I was on holiday. David Jamieson, the Council’s Parks and Greenspace Manager, came along to help and see what Friends of Starbank Park were getting up to on Wednesday mornings. He did a good chunk of work, helping plant out over 400 plants in our new herbaceous borders with Jen and 14 volunteers. We all appreciate David’s interest and help. Special thanks to Jen Johnstone, our Park Ranger, who arranged for all the plants and put together the planting plan.
The herbaceous border planted for next summer
Wednesday morning sunshine again! Weeding, digging and tidying were today’s activities. The geraniums in the north wall of the park were looking good
And we came across a surprising patch of toadstools near the house. came across an unusual patch of toadstools.
Lots of weeding and tidying today but much of our effort was focussed on getting four old rose borders ready for the herbaceous plants coming next month. Almost all the roses have been cleared (we didn’t have the heart to dig out a couple that are still laden with flowers) and we’ve made a good start on digging over the borders (first time for quite a while judging from the state of the ground).
And Stan has built a fine heather border near just at the top of the hill.
Friends of Starbank Park 