Wordsworth Park is soon to become home to a new community garden
ENVIRONMENTAL volunteers have come together to create a community garden for Penarth.
Gywrddio Penarth Greening encourages residents to take action over environmental issues.
“The garden is going to be there for people who use the park on a regular basis for them to go along and enjoy,” said organiser Eurgain Powell.
Back in January GPG hosted an event called Penarth 2020. About 100 people attended to voice what they thought were the main priorities for the town.
“At that meeting people told us what they felt were the priorities, so the community growing project was one of the priorities that people felt really keen to take forward,” said Ms. Powell.
“We got a group together back in March just before lockdown and planned what we could do.”
Three growing projects have been started since March including a raised bed in West House for growing vegetables and crops, a garden in Belle Vue Park and one more in Stanwell Crescent.
“One thing people have appreciated this year is being able to spend time outside in their local green space, wherever that may be, in their local parks or whatever they have access to,” said Ms. Powell.
“Because the activity is outdoors, you’re in the fresh air and you’re safer in terms of the restrictions. You can keep your distance and people are generally careful and sensitive anyway, so it’s one of the activities we have been able to continue.”
“I think it’s a great time for people to appreciate what they have got on their doorstep.”
The first meeting at the Wordsworth Park garden was on Sunday, December 6 and around 15 residents showed up to show their support.
Meetings will be every Sunday from 10.30am for anyone who wishes to help out. Details and updates are on the group’s Facebook page Penarth Growing Community.
No planting has started yet, it is mostly about preparing the groundwork and planning what to do next.
“It will take time and manpower,” said organiser Sally Hughes.
The garden will be planted just next to the children’s playground in the large green space at Wordsworth Park.
“We’ve got a kit from Keep Wales Tidy, we’ve got one raised bed and 10 fruit bushes, a box of herbs and fruit trees, hopefully once we get everything together it will be quite nice,” said Ms. Powell.
“We can grow loads of fruit trees so when people are going to the park maybe people could help themselves to an apple or a plum of the tree, forage for berries, help themselves to herbs.”
“We are about facilitating the start of things and then hopefully it will take off on its own.”
“Eventually we could think about growing salad and crops that you would grow in your own back garden, potatoes and who knows really? This stuff is fairly easy to grow so we can expand it to what people want.”
“It’s getting communities together and getting them involved in planting so people can see how easy it is, people can appreciate where food comes from.”
“Ideally we’d get the local schools involved and maybe over time they can see that you can grow your own food, you don’t have to go to the supermarket to buy it.”
Here are other ways Penarth has acted to improve the environment:
