Hello from our Down to Earth Community Allotment!

We have started 2023 with much needed hands-on repairs. January and February are the physical months of the gardening year leaving all things green to rest for a bit longer until early spring.

As such, we shifted many barrows of woodchip, compost and manure and have replaced one of our sheds together with a tidy-up and clear-out of shed contents. The walk-in fruit cage is being repaired, new raspberry post and wire supports installed, netting stitched up and compost surrounds reinforced. A huge ’Thank you’ goes to our amazing volunteer Tim Turner, who tirelessly and creatively works to make mend and do with the recycled materials we have. We couldn’t maintain our structures without him. Our group member Mick Humphreys also deserves our gratitude for his dedication to repairing and cleaning tools and gardening equipment as well as mending bird boxes and insect hotels. Sustainability at its best!

I would like to warmly welcome our new volunteer John Rawlinson, who supports our group on a weekly basis and enriches our sessions through his wonderful way with people, his DIY skills and enthusiasm about gardening. Thank you for your dedication, John. You are amazing!

As a group we are continuing to grow, and I am pleased to now welcome 7 participants most weeks as well as our student group from New Hall School. All of our client volunteers bring their skills into the group and learn from each other. This is a healthy and encouraging way to enquire new skills, connect socially and build resilience.

I January, we joined up with the Melbourne Park Allotment Association and ran another fruit tree pruning day on our allotments. The event was very well supported by other plot holders and enthusiastic gardeners and we were able to raise much needed funds towards our project.

We are grateful for the continued support we receive from the community outreach team of the RHS, who give their time, expertise, resources and also funding to our project enabling us to diversify our valuable work, and simultaneously help our participants ‘grow’. The RHS have also run a horticultural willow workshop for us at Chatham Green on the topic of natural fence structures, coppicing and weaving. This was a fantastic opportunity to invite members from other community garden project across Essex to our Wilder Foundation site. We are part of the RHS Community Garden Forum networking group helping us to promote our community garden.

The daffodils and first blossom announce spring is on its way. We are gradually starting to sow first seeds, slightly delayed due to the abnormally cold March. First shoots are showing, everyone is excited. We are ready to grow!