A community garden can achieve many things: somewhere to grow fruit and vegetables; a place for outdoor play; a source of understanding of nature; a tool for social cohesion in the outdoors in an atmosphere of rewarding common endeavour.
Institute’s staff started the community garden at Cochno Farm in 2016 and it now has membership across the University. The garden is a great place for staff and their families to hang out and play. We have barbecues, a pizza oven, climbing frames, swings, badminton, two polytunnels, a sandpit, apple trees, plums, damsons, a whole forest of rhubarb, three beehives and lots and lots of potatoes.
For the last four years we run a massive bonfire night gathering with fireworks and marshmallows. We retained access during the 2020 spring lockdown, set up a rota system, and the garden was a lifeline for families to keep a link to the great outdoors. These days there are people at the site every weekend, plenty of space to expand and we are always keen to invite new members.
If you want to get involved, please get in touch with martin.llewellyn@glasgow.ac.uk and we will add you to the mailing list and the whatsapp group.