The Herts and soils
We had barrowloads of entries for our fab Cultivation Street contest and really dig what you have done! Now let’s hear it for our overall winner...
Hands aloft, they have every reason to celebrate after building a fantastic community garden through years of aspiration, inspiration and no small amount of perspiration.
These fine volunteers at Herts & Essex Community Farm in Harlow, Essex, are the overall winner of the Cultivation Street 2019 contest.
Volunteers nationwide have worked their socks off at community projects. We had hundreds of amazing entries and, thanks to sponsor Calliope® Geraniums, supported by the Sunday Mirror, we’ve given away nearly £20,000 in prizes across all categories.
Judges, including myself, Mark Glover – chief executive of Newington Communications – ITV regional presenter Lauren Hall and the Sunday Mirror’s deputy editor, Gemma Aldridge, had our work cut out.
Lauren said: “The highlight was seeing so many inspiring gardens which make such a difference to their communities. They are beautiful outdoor spaces which have the potential to transform people’s lives. We saw gardens being used to help educate children, as well as those which can boost physical and mental wellbeing. Other gardens helped bring communities together and even reduced crime and anti-social behaviour.”
Now in its seventh year, the competition has handed out more than £ 120,000, making a huge difference to scores of community groups, schools and volunteers.
The 2019 winner is a very fine example , richly deserving the top prize of 100 Calliope ® Geranium plugs and £3,000. The Harlow story began in 2013, when a group of hardworking locals came together to transform an old allotment in Fold Croft into a green haven.
It wasn’t easy going. Fly tipping was such a problem that volunteers did all the initial clearing and tilling of the half-acre site by hand because it was unsafe to use machinery. In the first year they cleared enough land to grow crops and hold the first annual music festival for the community. Now, thanks to the efforts of around 40 volunteers aged from eight to their late-70s, this incredible garden has 12 raised beds suitable for wheelchair users, 10 growing beds, two allotment plots, three poly tunnels and a large brassica tunnel.
The plot also has a wildlife pond and a secret garden for relaxing. Bird
We are proud to have our work recognised like this, it’s fantastic
boxes, bug hotels and feeders encourage winged visitors and an orchard has been planted with flowers and fruit bushes, with wildlife in mind.
The garden has many regular visiting groups, including schools, that
use a large wooden classroom on-site. The children’s area has a willow teepee, a pirate ship and a book- sharing library. In the past year a barbecue zone has been added, plus a large grassed area with small stage and some beehives. They have taken on two more plots to grow crops for a homeless charity – using organic feed, sustainable techniques and a real focus on wildlife. Volunteers harvest rainwater and hand-pump water from the neighbouring brook.
The garden provides a homeless charity with a weekly produce box and offers a free produce scheme on the gate.
A spokesman for the garden told the Mirror: “It feels truly amazing and it’s an honour to be named overall winner. We are so proud and to have our hard work recognised like this is fantastic. Our space benefits people in so many ways. A safe, shared space creates positive change in the community, with significant long lasting social, emotional and mental health benefits to people.”
Volunteers will use the prize to connect mains water to the site.
Second prize, £ 1,500 and 100 Calliope ® , goes to Grow for Talgarth, in Talgarth, Mid Wales. In third spot, with £1,000 and 100 Calliope®, is Blackhill’s Growing, Provanmill, Glasgow, and two highly commended prizes of £750 and 100 Calliope® go to Wonky Garden Project in Halton, Cheshire, and Saffron Acres, Leicester.