How have you found the garden this year?
It has been brilliant in 2015, the group has really taken off, lots of people, the site developed and is looking very nice, much more productive than in previous years.
We have heard about the popular sweetcorn, whats been best about this year?
For me, it’s getting big things in place, the espalier is a nice feature in garden. We have also finally been able to get the water harvesting system in place, so we have connected the water butt to the shed. Best thing is people getting involved.
What have been the challenges, to learn from and build on next year?
Would like to improve productivity, growing more crops. With the funding we have got, we will be-able to put more effort into that.
Whats the funding for?
Its for a mixture of things, to develop horticultural practice and expertise in the group, encourage a regular coordinated presence. Also running a whole range of workshops to improve and gain new skills in everything beyond the garden, like bike maintenance, fruit tree pruning, jam and bread making.
Any events happened external to garden?
This year not too many, a big success was the Mother Garden Project. We organised a plant swap day, taking plants we have from the mother garden, crops unique to the project. We then invited a network of food growing people around the city to come and share plants from their projects. This was around May time where people have a surplus of seedlings. It was an amazing opportunity for people here to meet other gardeners across the city, and for them to meet us.
Will you do it again?
Part of mother gardens, is a huge success, so we will definitely repeat and do on other sites as well. To explain a little more about that project, Kushinga was the first mother garden, the idea was getting food growing groups that grow, to propagate and share plants. We shared exotic crops with other projects and gains plants from other projects .
