Page 52 - ALG Issue 3 2022

Greenfingers gardening group
We have 2 community allotments here in Runcorn; our first allotment at the rear of Brookvale Community Centre was started in September 2020 with just 6 members.
It started off as a garden at the rear of the Community Centre, which was able to get us funding to start off our plans.
We first of all put up a small fence to separate the allotment from the garden; we made beds, compost bins, bought
a shed, greenhouse and put out for donations from the public for garden tools etc.
Our 1st year was hard, as we also had Covid restrictions in place, but we managed, and we grew potatoes, cabbage, rhubarb, tomatoes, beans (broad and runner), all from seeds.
These we sold to the community and
it got to the stage here sometimes, we were literally digging up vegetables and selling them direct from the ground. You cannot get fresher than that.
This allotment has gone from strength to strength and we are looking forward to this year’s harvest.
At the end of last year, we were approached about also running another
allotment, at the rear of Brookvale Children’s Centre. It was already set out as an allotment, but had not been used for a number of years.
Again, we were able to get funding
and we have totally transformed the allotment over the winter. We are growing fruit in this allotment, also rhubarb, main crop potatoes and salads.
Both allotments are now wheelchair friendly with plenty of access to the raised beds.
We are also getting the children involved from the Children’s Centre with planting 1st early potatoes, a wild life garden and much more in the future.
We hold demonstrations i.e., hanging baskets, planting up containers for various seasons, how to sow seeds etc. and hopefully this year we will be starting to visit gardens of interest and garden shows.
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52 Allotment and Leisure Gardener