We are so excited to see the Community Garden at Keepers Green begin to take life, with a brilliant team already at work, making the raised beds ready for a spring and summer full of activity, preparation, planting and enjoying the fruits (and veg!) of their labour.
The Community Garden is a space for all, with lots of activity from residents of Graylingwell Park, Roussillon Park and Keepers Green – somewhere to spend time together or find a little respite with nature on their own. Beds are assigned to different teams, and tasks created and allocated to those who would most like to take them on.
To date the gardeners have enjoyed five sessions of work – operating only as one household at a time, and as of today are now finally able to enjoy meeting as a group of up to six within the garden, making for a better place to connect, and enjoy each other’s company while they work. Entering the garden at pre-planned timeslots twice a week there is an exciting schedule of work ahead to really get the garden going, led by the capable green fingers of CCDT’s amazing volunteer, Tim Lawrence-Owen.
The team has already begun work in weeding the beds and replanted gooseberry bushes along the side of the north perimeter fence. The compost heaps are underway, and the latest plans are in place to lower the sides of the higher beds, further weeding and preparation of the soil, with plans for runner beans being grown along the south perimeter fence, and strawberry plants already in.
The garden is open to all local residents and they are very welcome to join. There is a small £15 annual charge to cover the running costs of the garden, which includes an allocation of the produce grown within the garden, providing fresh fruit and veg throughout the summer. The garden is designed to be fully inclusive with involvement from the brilliant resident nursery school, Little Learners, and nearby Fordwater School.
If you would like to be involved please don’t hesitate to contact the team at CCDT on info@chichestercdt.org.uk to discuss joining the team of gardeners.
