Good for body, mind, and community
I love community gardens. I’ve volunteered at a couple near where I live, and last Sunday I spent a splendid afternoon in the sunshine at the Kemble Community Garden fundraiser (please donate!), surrounded by all the makings of a perfect English outdoor event – a table groaning with a fabulous array of homemade cakes, raffle stand, secondhand books, skittles… even an archery range. (I won’t say I was hopeless at the archery – but suffice to say that if I’d have been a medieval military bowman, the enemy would have emerged largely unscathed.)
Jill, one of the prime movers of the gardens, gave me a guided tour of neatly-kept raised beds, the orchard, areas deliberately left wild, and the site of the future wildlife pond. The place is a well-ordered oasis of peace and tranquillity.
But community gardens are so much more.
Getting your hands in the soil is good for your health, mental and physical – it releases the happy hormone, serotonin, which strengthens your immune system and alleviates depression. The NHS is even looking at prescribing it.
The word “community” is as important as the word “gardens”. Neighbours get to spend time alongside each other, share skills and tools, and bond over gardening war stories.
In the current cost of living crisis, many households struggle to afford good quality food. At one point food inflation was running at 19%, and it’s still at 12%. Too many people are forced to resort to cheap, high calorie-low quality ultra-processed foods that lead to obesity and diabetes. For those who have the time, and access to land, community gardens offer a low-cost way to eat well.
When I was a child, my mother had to stretch a tiny housekeeping budget, so she always kept a small vegetable garden, sometimes an allotment too. She kept a record of what she produced – given the smallness of the plot, it was quite phenomenal. I was fortunate that she made growing fruit and veg a priority, even alongside working full time and raising two daughters.
I am looking forward to supporting community gardens in the South Cotswolds: helping identify suitable sites, facilitating paperwork, and connecting people who want to get one started.
These gardens don’t just grow good food – they grow a sense of community and shared purpose.
[Photo: with Cllr Mike McKeown in Kemble]
News Round-Up
I was sorry to hear about the homes and businesses in Purton that were affected by flooding during Storm Babet. My thoughts and sympathies are with you. My sister was flooded out of her home in Kendal during Storm Desmond, and wasn’t able to return for 8 months, so I know something of the costs, financial and social.
The dreadful conflict in the Middle East continues to weigh heavily on our minds, with heavy civilian casualties on both sides, including hundreds of children. I very much hope that the international community will bring pressure to bear for a ceasefire, and to bring the warring sides to the negotiating table, before the situation escalates further.
Quote of the Week
“The glory of gardening: hands in the dirt, head in the sun, heart with nature. To nurture a garden is to feed not just the body, but the soul.”
– Alfred Austin
And a gratuitously awful gardening joke… I was offered a job as a gardener, but I didn’t take it because the celery was too low. 😜
Have a great week!
💜