Volunteer organiser Ellie Shaw has some news about Bearwood’s latest green space, and how you can help make it happen this Saturday.
Hello Bearwood! A couple of months ago a post popped up from Bearwood Community Hub on the Bearwood Gardeners Facebook page talking about a possible space for a community garden in Bearwood. I blooming love gardening and can’t help but LOVE the idea of having a shared garden on our doorstep.
Birmingham and the Black Country has so many inspirational community gardens serving their locals - like Dorothy Parkes Community Allotment, the Smethwick Foodbank Allotment and Salop Drive Market Garden, all within a stones throw of us. I remember the first time I visited Martineau Gardens and a volunteer had greeted me within a minute, sat me down on a bench in front of the most beautiful pond and handed me a cuppa, a dragonfly buzzing lazily about. For a frazzled new mum-of-two it was like stumbling into a little piece of heaven. Green space has a special way of calming the mind.
We are hoping to develop the courtyard behind St. Mary’s Church to create a similar green retreat. It is such an ideal location right at the heart of the high street and has so much potential. With support from the Bearwood Community Hub we will create a space for working, socialising, meeting, playing or resting. And we hope to connect up with the other local gardens to swap seeds, inspiration, local volunteer time and promotion.
Our first step is clearing the site which will begin this Saturday 14th December so if you fancy having a look and sharing what you would like to see in your community garden come and say hello from 09.30am. We would love to hear your ideas!