Community gardening
OVER THE YEARS I’ve taken an interest in community gardens and allotments – from the Backgreens initiative in tenement gardens, to the Fountainbridge canal gardens proposed as a temporary use of vacant land, to the inspiring work at Bridgend Farmhouse.
We have some fantastic allotments in Edinburgh producing food for those who run them. They provide a sense of community and learning opportunities to plotholders. But it takes years to be allocated an allotment because there simply are not enough of them to go round. We would need 1,500 more to meet the level required in the Community Empowerment Scotland Act 2015.
For many, a community garden is a welcome alternative way of growing your own. Sadly, with food costs rocketing, they are more needed than ever. But happily, they also have major health benefits. It’s not just the effort of planting, digging and weeding, it’s also mental health and wellbeing benefits that come from being outside.
Community gardens are a great way to get involved in gardening or food growing if you haven’t gardened before.
A few years ago, I joined my local community garden and for me the attraction of being involved was that I could volunteer and see if I enjoyed the experience and join in without being solely responsible.
It was also a great way to meet my new neighbours. When the pandemic hit we had to adapt and that meant stopping our community get-togethers, booking individual slots and making sure that all the equipment was rigorously cleaned.
Sadly, it also meant that volunteers from other communities couldn’t come and use our garden.
In recent weeks, although the weather has been awful, our WhatsApp group has been sending round messages of work people have done in the garden to look after our plants, and our sheds and greenhouses, to make sure they’ve not been damaged though the winter weather. I’m looking forward to spring. As the weather improves there will be no excuse for me not to get out the house and get gardening again. It will feel all the more enjoyable being able to work with neighbours and to bring home and cook the fantastic food and herbs we grow in the garden again. It’s an opportunity everyone should have in our city.