Hear from our 2023 Community garden winner
The Dorothy Parkes Community Garden
In the garden, they have a large summerhouse, polytunnel, and greenhouse, allowing for growing year-round. Aside from this, they have 16 growing beds, fruit trees, and raised beds for accessibility. Also, they have a compost area, water butts, and fences made using recycled pallets. They have used this to create a growing wall.
Within the garden, this community have really shown what they can grow. With plants including 3 different potato varieties, other root vegetables, lettuce, strawberries, and more, their garden is so alive.
Impact on the community
The Dorothy Parkes Centre has strived to ensure their local community can benefit from their hard work. The produce that they grow on the plot is regularly distributed, sharing the fruits of their labour with food banks and lunch clubs.
Over 150 different families benefit from free Nature Buddies sessions on Saturday mornings. Plus, 138 pupils have visited from local primary schools to learn all about nature and growing.
With over 888 hours of support via 40 volunteers in 2022, the gardens are well looked after. Also, this provides ample learning opportunities.
Plans for the future
The centre is hoping to improve its biodiversity from 2023 to 2024. This will include measures to increase natural habitats, plants that will benefit pollinators, a pond for freshwater invertebrates, a flower meadow and a green wall. All is in the hope of benefiting the wildlife that visits their garden.
Finally, the prize money they have received can help them to improve the site further, allowing them to help their community for many years to come, and to help with their efforts to improve the biodiversity of the site.
