Mitcham Community Orchard and Gardens has served as a haven for many during lockdown. The space saw a resurgence of interest towards the end of 2020 and 2021 looks set to see a huge transformation.
Since January, volunteers have been going to the Orchard either individually or in pairs and have been putting their stamp on the place.
Here are just a few examples of the fantastic work to date;
Homemade wooden signs have been made by Genevieve.
Rose bushes and hedges have been trimmed and areas cleared by Clare.
The Orchard has also provided space for people to extend their growing, Maribel attended the Orchard with her daughter and planted out some donated hellibores.
Despite a burst water pipe spraying water everywhere the group pulled together to get it stopped and fixed!
Emily has expertly conveyed onto paper a site plan showing the exact positions of the garden features, such as the ponds and wildlife areas as well as all the locations of the fruit trees, fruit bushes and other climbers and shrubs.
There are 60 different varieties of these plants and it will be fantastic to see the fruits come to mature over the year. In conjunction with the site plan, the group have developed a plan of action including further planting of vegetables which people like to eat including beans, carrots, sweetcorn and potatoes and plans to re-establish the wildflower area.
The garlic and cabbages are growing well, sage cuttings are still surviving and have been shared with Phipps Bridge Allotment. Early March saw the installation of the new shed, kindly donated and installed by Scotscape, with next steps to install shelves.
It is great to see the Orchard coming to life and that it is a welcoming space for all, even our friend Mr Fox!
Find out more about our community gardening activities HERE