Edible garden opened in Cheltenham

A garden that's good enough to eat has been opened in Cheltenham.

Green-fingered foodies of Gloucestershire will be excited to hear that Cheltenham Borough Council and Transition Town Cheltenham have teamed up to produce an edible garden in the heart of the town for locals to cultivate and sample.

The Annecy Garden, situated in Sandford Park, has recently been converted into an ornamental and insect-friendly vegetable garden, which organisers hope will provide a wide range of delicious eats for the local community to enjoy for years to come.

Working sessions are currently being held at the garden every Monday from 6pm to 8pm throughout the summer and autumn, with Transition Town encouraging locals to don those gardening gloves and get stuck into weeding, watering and planting together.

Transition Town Cheltenham explores ways to meet needs such as sustainable food, shelter, and companionship in the local community by utilising a number of voluntary working groups.

Lorraine Du Feu from Transition Town said: ‘We are keen to help people grow their own and have kindly been offered this part of Sandford Park to make an edible garden to inspire others to do likewise. So that the garden is attractive to everyone, including insects, no artificial fertilisers or chemical pest controls will be used.

‘If you are passing by the garden, then do stop to admire the beautiful edibles, and help yourself to a courgette, a few pods of beans, and some salad leaves, but please don’t take whole plants. We hope to have events throughout the growing season and a grand harvest festival at the end of the project in the autumn.’

© SoGlos

Wednesday 16 May 2012