Grace And Flavour Overview

Where?

• Dene Place Nursing Home - West Horsley

• Old/derelict walled garden

• Adjacent field

The Team as it is today

• Steering committee responsible for:– Constitution, principles, planning, PR, etc

• 4 work streams– Site development – Gardening– Allotments – Operations

• Lease negotiations• NT Senior Rural Surveyor & Deputy

are associate members of Steering Committee

Funding

• External– Grants

• Several public grants applied for and in play (DEFRA, Local Food. LEADER, Surrey Community)

• Several more being explored– Donations

• Local residents are being asked to donate £52 if they wish

• NO requirement to donate in order to be a member– Local government

• Both Local Parish Councils have been very supportive

• ExternalGrant funding causes cash flow challenges as it is retrospective. For this reason we have set up the G+F100 founders club which will donate and operate a peer-to-peer lending (bridging) scheme.

Project Overview

Entrance, fencing, security, removal of trees, shrubs and weeds

Project overview – entrance and parking• The new entrance• Parking arrangements• Access to Allotments• Access to Walled Garden

Project overview – fencing and security• Fencing to access route• Deer and rabbit challenges• Hedge screening• Tool shed

Project overview – remove trees, shrubs etc• Ripley Lane• Northern boundary• Collapsed wall and

overgrowth• Key trees retained• The Lime trees

Project overview

Soil preparation, water

Project overview – soil preparation• After removal of unwanted vegetation

• Spread manure - source

• Plough

• Reduce to fine tilth

Project overview – Water

• Connect to mains water• Extend over site• Water tanks

A project of 2 halves

1. Allotments – individual activity

2. Community garden – collective activity

Allotments – individual activity

Community garden – collective activity

Allotments

Parish Council

WEST HORSLEY PARISH COUNCIL

DENE PLACEALLOTMENTS

22 proposed allotments

Leasing an allotment• Allotments leased direct from Grace

and Flavour• Parish Councils channel

applications and manage waiting list – priority to local residents

• Allotments are for growing fruit, veg, flowers for personal and family use only

• Annual rent £20-£25 for a 100sqm allotment

• Lease based on national standard allotment contract– renewable in September each

year

Community Garden

Community Project - aims

• Community garden – emphasis on community benefits

• Produce good, low cost fruit & veg.

• Low carbon footprint

• Self funding

Community garden – who do we want?• Everyone with enthusiasm

• Expertise not necessary but very welcome

• Willing to work

• Willing to learn

• Be part of a team

• Lots of jobs other than gardening

Community garden – initial plan

• location

Community garden – existing to be kept• Walls – such as they are

• Paths – 1 central possibly one other

• Apple trees – by central path

• Few other mature trees

Community garden – planting plan

sowplantharvest

type name variety year january february march april may june july

salad leaves lettuce all the year roundlettuce winter densitylettuce winter gem (Vaila)

brassicas cauliflower snowball A 1cauliflower snowball A 2cabbage pyramid F1cabbage kalibos (red)cabbage April

spinach etc spinach beet white silver 2 1spinach beet white silver 2 2rhubarb chardswis chard

• Work in progress• Will always be changing

Community garden – planting aims• Veg

– Traditional - nothing fancy yet– Maximise ground cover– All year round cropping

• Fruit– Maintain existing– Set aside sector for additional

• Herbs• What do members want to grow?

Community garden – polytunnel• Hidden from view – these are not pretty• Size – as big as we can afford and

accommodate• Plants for

– planting-out– early crops– tender crops

• Initially our only cover• Notice board

Community garden – raised beds• Entrance and car parking should provide

soil• Placed to cover broken glass• Objective

– Access to project for infirm and disabled– Produce plants for transplanting– Hardening off from polytunnel – cold frame– Salad crops – Herbs

Community garden –planning & organisation• Divide the garden into 4/5 sectors with gardener.

Examples – herbs, salad leaves, roots, pods, squashes, onions, brassicas, etc.

• Members express preference or don’t care• Gardeners determine work and place list on

notice board in polytunnel• Members arrive and carry out work and record it

in a log inc. time spent and mark it done/½ done etc. on notice board list.

Community garden –sharing the crop• 2 possible models on board

– Discount levels based on ‘bandings’ (effort based)

– Points + prizes system whereby an hour on the garden is worth a point.

• There is no perfect system• Aim to minimise problems• We will test 1 and review at next

year’s AGM

Community garden – future plans• Bees• Sell to shops (agreed), Dene Place

Nursing Home, etc.• The potting shed – worker’s tea room,

office, meeting point, information, etc• The ‘Tithe’ – 10% of produce to be

donated to those in need in our community

• Events

Community garden – next steps• First AGM - Date – November 10th

• Info/Questions - see the web site and forum www.graceandflavour.org/