Youngsters are growing their own for community

IN a small corner of an Exwick housing estate there is now a garden growing kale, purple sprouting broccoli and leeks. It is also home to insects made from recycled materials, silk flags and, as soon as it has been fired, a clay totem pole.

And perhaps the nicest thing about this community garden is that is has been planted by local children, as part of Guinness Hermitage’s Dreamscheme, in which young people are encouraged to carry out community-based projects to earn points that can be exchanged for trips and activities of their choice.

This year the youngsters involved will be going for a day out to Exmouth on a seaside safari.

Residents of the nearby Iveagh Court sheltered housing scheme had been invited along to the grand opening of the garden earlier this week and, after the last bits of soil had been washed from their hands, the children served cream teas and drinks to their older neighbours.

One resident, Reg Boddy, was thrilled by the garden, as he no longer has a garden of his own.

“It is nice for the young and the old to get together,” he said. “And these children have such good manners. I am sure they will get such pleasure from seeing it grow as I did from mine.”

Jacqueline Colgan, housing officer for Guinness Hermitage, says the scheme is about the children taking a pride in where they live.

“The aim is that because they have had a part in creating it they then take care of it,” she said. “On this estate there is very little green space, so this area is hopefully now going to be very well used.

“Rok, our contractors, donated all their time and manpower to clear the area, do the fence and build the beds for us — this area was really overgrown.”

As well as planting all the vegetables that morning, the children had been doing the creative work to make it truly their own with the help of community artist Steve Newton.

“The insects we made of scrap, and hopefully they will stay in the garden,” he said. “With the clay totem pole, each child has made a ring of clay and decorated it and once I have fired it, it will come back here to be their own sculpture.”

The children were guided in their planting by two project workers from Harvest, Ellie Parker and Andi Tobe. Harvest, part of Exeter Community Initiatives, started in April and helps local people grow food at or near their homes.

It recently did a container-growing scheme, handing out 118 MiniGarden starter kits and is keen to expand its reach to more community gardens.

“What we have been doing today is planting up lots of hardy plants that will be good over the winter,” Ellie said.

“The kids will come back and look after it and try some food they haven’t eaten before. These plants will carry on growing all through the winter. These children have been so excited about getting their hands into the soil and they are very interested in seeing these plants turn into something they can eat.”

Despite their clothes being covered in soil, the children were beaming with pride at their achievement, and watching parents were equally impressed. Two local cats also gave the garden their seal of approval by rolling in the newly dug soil.

Mary Wilkins, 13, was busy handing round scones and telling her older neighbours about everything she had been involved with and what vegetables they were now growing.

“I have been doing everything today,” she said with a huge smile. “I live here and I am so excited about coming back to the garden to look after it, but especially about eating the food in the winter.”

For more information about Harvest’s projects, see www.eci.org.uk/harvestharvest or telephone 01392 661330.