We’re delighted to be featured in a guest blog by the King Charles III Charitable Fund. The article highlights the role our community garden plays in helping people connect with nature and improve their wellbeing. We’re proud to be recognised by the Fund, whose support helps grassroots projects like ours continue to thrive.
Read the full blog on the King Charles III Charitable Fund’s website
It was my mum who first suggested I come to Martineau Gardens (how come mums know everything!) Lockdown had a massive impact on me, and I was scarily low again. I was lost and there was no colour in my life, I was literally seeing the world in greyscale, and I was fearful for my future.
My first impression of the gardens was one of complete safety. It was okay to be me, as nobody was judging anyone else. Acceptance of who I was and how I was feeling meant that it was safe to talk and to share my grief even on the first visit. I felt protected and emotionally held. It was good to be gardening and doing something constructive. My Nan and I used to garden together when I was growing up, and I found myself talking to her as I worked alongside the other women in the Friday group. After my second session I called my mum in floods of tears to tell her:
“I can see the colours in the flowers”
The colours stayed with me all week; it was as if a switch had been flipped back on.
As you have no doubt noticed, it’s all systems grow in the garden at the moment. For the past few months, the first job of the day has been water, water, water and now that it has actually rained a little, the garden has really taken off.
A much-loved charity in Edgbaston is giving away one million wildflower seeds as part of an ambitious citywide campaign to raise awareness and support for a new community hub which will serve even more people across Birmingham.
Martineau Gardens will be launching its Small Seeds, Big Dreams appeal on Thursday June 12th with a crowdfunder to kickstart the campaign.
The CEO of Martineau Gardens, a 2.5-acre community garden which offers therapeutic horticulture for people with a range of needs, is heading a new project to make the venue even more accessible.
At Martineau, working with wildlife is key to making it a beautiful and tranquil space – who wants to spend time in a garden without bird song or the buzzing of bees? There are a few ways we achieve this, that you might want to try out at home.
Many people think that winter is a quiet time for us in the garden, a time when we can kick back in the warm with a copy of the latest seed catalogue. The reality is somewhat different as there’s always something that needs doing and the weather has given us plenty to get on with.
It’s the people who make Martineau Gardens such a special place. With Christmas and a new year coming up, we’re looking back at some of the wonderful memories we’ve made over the years.