To celebrate the second year of our Cultivation Street campaign, we’re taking a look at last year’s winners and what they’ve done with their prize vouchers.
Residents of Brownfield Estate in Poplar, East London, wanted to find project the whole community could participate in. They also wished to improve the neglected areas of the estate, so they decided to commandeer two disused tennis courts on the estate.
They got a grant to get running water on the site and a shed for storage, and set up two beehives. A further grant enabled them to build a children’s play area and put in wheelchair access.
Residents then began building growing boxes out of old pallets and scaffolding boards. Some are communal and others are leased by individuals. Building their own gave them the freedom to lift some up on legs to make sure less mobile members could still get growing.
Everything was sustainable, from containers like old guitars to the compost they used! Resident Fiona Kearns said, “We re-use our garden waste and, with the help of a rotating composter, we recycle as much of our kitchen waste as we can gather.”
One of their biggest projects was a building a henhouse. Local builders donated the materials and they assembled it on site according to a design downloaded from the Internet.
The only money they spent was £3.50 on hinges, and it now houses eight ex-battery hens which provide the residents with plenty of fresh eggs.
They created a bug hotel from second-hand bits and pieces which for the last two years has also been home to blackbirds raising their chicks.
Everyone in the community was delighted to win the prize, and they have decided to put the vouchers towards a large purchase – a greenhouse! They would also like some battery-operated tools so they can build even more on site, and are currently fundraising to make it happen.
Since last year, they have held many community events, including a Bonfire Night party and a barbeque with the local housing association. They also won Best Newcomer in the Tower Hamlets in Bloom competition, and came third overall.
But most importantly, they have continued to make their garden sustainable. “We bought a second-hand shed from eBay to store the equipment for the chickens, and installed a water butt to reduce our consumption,” said Fiona. “We have also joined the local shared electric car scheme to help move materials with eco-friendly transport.”
The community has also been helping out the local wildlife. They still have blackbirds nesting on the site and there are hundreds of tadpoles in their pond, which is built in a discarded bath.
They also upgraded their beehives to ones with better insulation, and are taking part in the Tower Hamlets’ Bee Watch to monitor and record the different sorts of bee that visit.
Community gardens benefit everyone, as Fiona says. “The garden provides a space for residents of all ages to learn new skills and have somewhere simply to be in a green and growing oasis in a very concrete environment.”
Getting a gardener’s workout on the set of Love Your Garden
You don’t need an expensive gym membership to get fit – just your garden. It’s perfect if you want to lose weight and build up your stamina. Make a commitment to get outside for a couple of hours a week for the gardener’s workout.
Gardening is a great way of keeping fit and active, both physically and mentally. It’s great to know such a popular hobby is also fantastic for your health and wellbeing.
Mowing and digging
According to nutritionists at Loughborough University, mowing, digging and planting for two to three hours can help burn off up to one pound a week.
And 10 to 20 minutes a day in the garden will help top up vitamin D levels in your system and improve your mood by lowering stress levels. Among other things, vitamin D can help reduce cardiovascular disease, autoimmune disease and type 2 diabetes.
The study also found that in general, gardening improves mood and cuts anxiety and depression. Being outside, doing something emotionally satisfying and physically tiring helps produce feel-good endorphins and reduce stress.
Body benefits
Gardening gives all major muscle groups a good workout, including your legs, arms, buttocks, stomach, neck and back. Some experts believe gardening can burn up to 300 calories an hour.
Another study in the American Journal of Public Health looked at 200 active gardeners comparing them to non-gardening folk. Female gardeners were 46% less likely to be overweight than non-gardeners. The percentage was even higher for men – 62% per cent less likely to be overweight than non-gardening men. Male gardeners weighed 16lb less and women 11lb less than their non- gardening counterparts.
Healthy eating
And none of this takes account of the added benefits of growing and eating your own fruit and veg!
Carrots, strawberries and tomatoes are all high in beta-carotene – a natural chemical in their red-orange pigments that converts to vitamin A in the body.
They are known by nutritionists as happy fruit because they boost your immune system and are easy to grow.
Getting started
Remember to pay attention to your body and exertion levels. The gardener’s workout is like any exercise. Have a stretch before you get started and try not to do too much at once.
Make sure you drink plenty of water, especially if it’s a hot day, and take regular breaks. Mind your back too – lift using your knees rather than bending your spine.
If you’re like me, the excitement of gardening itself gives you a lovely feeling, and you won’t notice you’re exercising!
Just don’t overdo it. Losing weight should combine a calorie-controlled diet with physical activity. But it’s so much nicer when it includes creating a beautiful outdoor space.[/fusion_text][/fusion_builder_column][/fusion_builder_row][/fusion_builder_container]
Wildlife gardens are increasingly popular, and you don’t need acres of land to encourage birds to feed and nest in your garden – simply plant varieties they love!
Many bird species are declining in Britain because they are losing their natural habitat, but you can help. There are 15 million gardens in the UK, covering 270,000 acres – that’s more than all the country’s nature reserves put together!
Choose plants that flower and seed at different times, so birds can eat natural foods all year round. Climbing plants also provide good cover for birds to roost. My top 10 plants are:
In autumn this plant will offer birds masses of fruit. Big fans include thrushes, finches and blackbirds, as well as more exotic birds like waxwing.
Corylus Contorta
The catkins and early growth of twisted hazel are ideal for chiffchaff and spring migrants.
Honeysuckle
It’s a great climber for birds, offering berries and cover for them to roost. Thrushes, warblers and bullfinches love it.
Malus Golden Hornet
Fruit from this plant will decay if you leave it untouched, exposing tasty seeds for great tits and greenfinches.
Pyracantha Orange Glow
This plant provides winter berries for thrushes and blackberries.
Rowan
Big rowan tree and ripe berries at golden sunset light
This is a great, compact plant for small to medium gardens. Different species will give berries from July to November, providing a feast for blackbirds and starlings. The white berries however are not as popular!
Festuca Gauteri
Goldfinch and Linnet love this plant’s seed heads.
Ivy
Its flowers attract insects, which birds love to eat, and its winter black berries are a firm favourite of thrushes, waxwings, starlings, jays and blackbirds.
Bidens Solar Garden
Its yellow flowers attract insects that are ideal food for tits, robins and warblers.
Other ways to help
Don’t be too keen to tidy your garden – those leaves, stems, twigs and debris make great nest material for birds!
You can install nest boxes for almost every garden bird you can think of, including owls, robins, sparrows and house martins. Site them away from feeding grounds, as the activity can disrupt mating pairs, and be patient – it can take a couple of years for birds to fill your box!
Finally, place a bird bath in your garden and keep it topped up with fresh water. Birds will flock to it for drinking and bathing. Put it somewhere you can see it from your window, so you can watch the birds without disturbing them.
