Fruit and Vegetables in Public Gardens

Fruit and Vegetables in Public Gardens

Date posted: 6 October 2009 - Permalink / Shortlink

Date updated: 24 September 2011 - Added report from Newsletter No. 39

West Dean Gardens, 6–8 October 2009
Includes report from PlantNetwork Newsletter No. 39 January 2010

Summary

More than 70 delegates came to this popular and timely conference. A packed programme of talks and discussion gave lots of information on demonstration gardens, growing in a small space, giving advice to the public, encouraging people to grow their own fruit and vegetables and working with schools.

Seb Mayfield told us about some of the many community projects under the Capital Growth scheme; Irena Iwegbu spoke about working with Bangladeshi women in Birmingham, in a community garden and in their domestic back gardens. Talks by Rebecca Bevan on feasibility and best practice in kitchen gardens supplying restaurants and by Amy Covey on a new vegetable garden and orchard to supply the restaurant at Sissinghurst prompted discussion on the need for a close relationship with the catering staff and being realistic about the costs of growing, including training and using volunteers and seasonal working hours. Ken Radford and Alistair Griffiths told us about a special, veg-bag social partnership at the Eden Project. Mark Laurence gave us a glimpse of the future with urban hydroponics, aquaponics and vertical salad walls. All this and much more – it was inspirational.

A tour with Jim Buckland and Sarah Wain revealed the beauty of the Victorian kitchen garden and restored glasshouses, even in a steady downpour. Plants are grown for use in courses at West Dean College as well as to inspire and interest visitors; the focus is on good cultivation and making the garden look attractive, choosing only plants that thrive there.

We are grateful to the Finnis Scott Foundation and Alitex Limited for their support for the conference. Our thanks to Sarah and Jim for their help in hosting it at West Dean, a splendid and appropriate setting. Thank you also to the companies and individuals who donated items for our ‘silent auction’.