Promotion

 

Despite many efforts over the years to get the word out, the garden remains something of a ‘secret garden’, even to some local people. As such we need to reach out to people to let them know we’re here and what we have to offer. To help with this new fingerposts have been erected in the park, giving directions. We plan to produce a new leaflet and distribute it widely. We hope that this website will reach a wide audience so, if you have enjoyed it please tell your friends, if not please tell us! Also, to encourage more people to visit we are planning to develop a regular programme of activities and events. This is in the early stages of development and hopefully will include such things as music, dance, drama, demonstrations, exhibitions as well as children’s events, watch this space! (Details will be posted on the events page.)

Volunteering

As a community garden we want the best for our visitors, not just to enjoy its ambience or as a venue for events and activities but also for it to be a place where people can learn new skills and develop old ones. Over the years the garden has welcomed many groups, covering all age groups, undertaking horticultural work for both educational and therapeutic purposes. Currently, in addition to our small band of regular volunteers, these include Wisewood Secondary School; Sheffield Care Trust; the Home Farm Trust; The Healthy Lifestyles group; the U3A (University of the Third Age) and BTCV (British Trust for Conservation Volunteers).  Between them these are working variously on the wildlife garden, the potager, the herb garden, general maintenance, in the greenhouse as well as undertaking work beyond the garden to the surrounding such as the border area of the adjacent bowling greens. We are also supporting educational opportunities at NVQ level for Sheffield College. In addition we encourage educational visits from schools and colleges and any other groups interested in our work. We will continue to support and develop volunteering and educational opportunities.

Renewal and Development

To maintain interest the garden needs constant renewal so to this end we are planning new planting schemes; developing a composting project; information boards and making better use of the buildings.

Composting

This involves making better use of our own compostable material. Building composting bays and creating a cage for Leaf mould in the woodland walk. We are also hoping to develop a Composting Demonstration Area to show members of the public domestic composting ideas. We hope also to work with the Park staff to develop Green Waste Management System for the whole park.

Information boards

These will hopefully give the public a kind of guided tour of the garden and will contain information about the plants and borders, herbs and their uses, composting and other things we are trying to achieve.

Buildings use and maintenance

The only permanent building in the garden is known as the ‘Stable Block’ although less glamorously it was originally the potting shed. It is used as a base for the Garden and Park workers and for the use of volunteers and placements. The stable block has seen better days and is in need of renovation. In the medium term we could insulate the roof to make it a more comfortable a place to work and to remove rendering from both the outside and inside to reduce water retention. The long term hope however is to replace it with a new building as and when funds become available.