At Westfest in 2021, you, the community of our village, asked for a community garden.
We at Green Westcott, listened and have been beavering away over the past 18 months to make this happen. We have had several false starts and gone down many rabbit holes (not literally!) but we have finally secured a plot to bring this venture to life.
Where is the community garden?
Having liaised with Holy Trinity, and after reviewing the historical documents associated with the disused graveyard, we established a section without any graves. It is this patch of land which has been allocated to the Community Garden. Those of you in the village who go past St John’s, may have seen the signs and in the last few weeks some additions to the graveyard.
So far, we have had just a couple of working parties to set out the plot and cover with cardboard and manure to suppress the grass and weeds. Just to err on the side of caution, we have also adopted the “No dig” method of starting the garden, in case there are any undocumented older burials in the graveyard.
We have plans for some seating which we will be developing over the next few months. This will be on the artificial grass area that was established when there was a nursery at St John’s. We may introduce some planters into this area along with tables and chairs for people to sit and chat. There are other small areas within the graveyard that don’t have any burials and we hope to utilize these spaces too for other garden projects, such as planting fruit trees and composting etc.
We are so excited to have started this project and have been really happy to see some new faces getting involved with it all already. This is a community project and as such our invitation is for everyone in the village to feel a part of it.
When do we meet?
Currently we meet every on Saturday’s every other week between 12 – 3 pm, to get things in place so we can be a fully functioning community garden. We aim to have space for fruits, vegetables and flowers for anyone living in the village who would like to come and grow some.
Community gardens are not just about gardening. They are places to meet, to interact and to commune with others. It is our hope that even if gardening is not your thing you will still pop along and come see us and what we are doing. Cake is always welcome for those who have been working in the community garden, so, if you are handier in the kitchen rather than the garden, we would never turn a cake away!
Why Have a Community Garden?
Community Gardens are good for you!
There are now numerous studies which show the benefits of community gardens. One study notes: that gardening with others in a community garden — can “give you a sense of purpose and drive to achieve an end goal.” It also creates a sense of belonging and acceptance for those who may be feeling isolated. Apart from the obvious gains of being out in the fresh air and getting a bit of exercise, there are other benefits to community gardening. It is a great way to connect with others in your local community and improve your mental health.
Studies dating back to the 19th century have advocated for the therapeutic advantages of gardening, for people with mental health issues. There are also studies which suggest that children with ADHA have improved attention when involved in gardening activities.
Support for those in need
With the cost-of-living crisis hitting people hard at the moment, we are hopeful that once up and running, the community garden may go some way to alleviating some of that burden on families in the village.
Greener Spaces
Greener spaces create healthier environments, and although much of Westcott is pretty green already, there is no doubt that those busy little pollinators – bees, butterflies and the like, are needing a helping hand. With their numbers in massive decline over recent years, the community garden would like to set aside a patch for pollinators.
Attracting wildlife with plants is a simple way to help improve biodiversity and the insects we rely on. Not only will growing and eating our own produce go some way to lowering our carbon footprint, there is something wonderful about being able to produce something from scratch and know the route that it has taken in the process.
If you would like to get involved in your community garden, don’t be shy, do pop along to see us to say hello. If anyone has any tools, they would like to donate to this project please do get in touch.
Nancy Lund
References:
https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/gardens-for-all-a-health-activity
https://thetouchpointsolution.com/blogs/touchpoints-blog/mental-health-benefits-of-gardening