Greener Leith

Ok, this isn't a photo of the soil in the Persevere Garden, but it might end up like this, if we have a dry summer. In the meantime, Fay, from the Leith Open Spaces group has posted a great update on the amazing progress that's been made already in the Persevere Community Garden. It's brilliant to hear that the fruit trees that we planted some weeks ago are already in bud.

Feedback that we're receiving from the site suggests that the soil in the garden is really poor quality. This is a problem we could solve if we had a van for transporting top soil. Do you know someone who has a van, or even a lorry, who can help? We'll provide the labour if you can provide the wheels! Please contact us if you have any ideas.

Greener Leith would like to extend another big thank you to all the volunteers who turned out on Friday and Saturday to help us plant the berry hedge in Pilrig Park. We were a bit nervous about whether anyone would turn up so soon after the Persevere Garden launch, but the sun shone for both Friday and Saturday and, again, we were really pleased to see so many people turn up and grab a spade. Pupils and teachers from Pilrig Park school, local residents of all ages and regular Greener Leith volunteers got stuck in and successfully planted more than 65 metres of hawthorn, guelder rose, elderflower, ivy, hazel, gooseberries, rasperries, crab apples, and blackberries.  In a few years time, we hope that passers by will be able to pick fresh fruit from the hedge as they take a stroll in the park.

Particular thanks should be given to our local park ranger who managed to liberate some stakes and tree ties from somewhere at short notice when it turned out the apple trees that were delivered were several feet larger than we'd planned for. Once again, Charlotte and Alex from Greener Leith also put in lots of work flyering and organising things before hand, as well as planting lots of hedge on the Friday. You can see more photos taken on both the Friday and Saturday here.

We have kept some funds back so that we can restock the hedge in the Autumn. So, if you'd like to get involved in looking after the hedge in the longer term, please do sign up for our free email newsletter if you've not already done so.  

On the 14th and 15th of March, Greener Leith will be planting a ‘Berry Hedge’ in Pilrig park, in a bid to brighten up a corner of the park that is constantly vandalised by graffiti. The hedge, which will be planted up with Scottish tree species, will also incorporate edible fruit plants like brambles and raspberries.

The ‘Berry Hedge’ project, is funded by an O2 ‘It’s your community’ grant and a Parks and Gardens Community Grant from The City of Edinburgh Council. It aims to involve as many local residents and school pupils in the planting of the hedge as possible. Fruit trees and bushes will also be given to local school pupils to look after in their school grounds. It is hoped that this will help local youths, who may never have had access to a garden, to learn about the links between the environment and healthy food. Many of the hedge species that will be planted are native to Scotland, so they will help to encourage more wildlife into the park as they grow.

If you fancy helping us to plant the hedge you can simply turn up on either day between 11am and 1pm. However, it would help us to plan if you could contact us to let us know you're coming before hand.

Alastair Tibbitt, Chair of Greener Leith said:

"We're really glad that we recieved funding for this project from O2 and the City of Edinburgh Council. When this wall is vandalised it really spoils the feel of Pilrig Park. We hope that this hedge will become a valued improvement to this highly visible corner of the park"

Councillor Louise Lang said:

"As Councillor for the Leith Walk ward I am delighted to see such an innovative project and was pleased that the Council could support this initiative. This is such a welcome improvement for Pilrig Park, and brings many benefits, not only to enhance the precious greenspaces around Leith, but also to involve local children in a local activity, giving them opportunities to learn and feel pride in their environment" 

To see where this event will take place on a map - click here.

Regulars to Greener Leith meetings will know that we've been trying to establish a community garden in Leith for more than a year. Today was certainly a good day, as today saw the turning of the first sod in the Persevere Community Garden.  

From about 10.30am, we lopped, and we dug, and we fertilised and we cleared up about a million vodka miniature bottles, but by the end of it all we felt that we'd made an important first step on the way to getting the Persevere Community Garden going. Whilst it may be a few years before the rare variety apple and plum trees (donated by Greener Leith) that we planted bear fruit, they provide a good symbol of everyone's long term ambitions for the space.

There was a brilliant mixture of people from near and far, who all got stuck in - in fact we didn't have enough tools to go around. Special thanks should be reserved for Russell the local community concierge who managed to furnish us with stakes, and bins and black bags and keys, and to the people who came all the way from Piershill who are looking to set up a community garden of their own there.

Sara, from Upward Mobility and Charlotte from Greener Leith also deserve thanks for jumping in at short notice to be interviewed by Radio Scotland the previous day. Sadly, Linda who put in loads of work to promote the event around from the community flat couldn't be there. The Walnut Whips that she managed to persuade a local business to donate were certainly enjoyed by the windblown volunteers when we retreated to the community flat for some hard earned coffee. 

Later in the day, the Leith Neighbourhood Partnership awarded 'Green Seeds,' a project from Upward Mobility, a grant of £5207 to help them buy tools, plants and pay a sessional worker to support volunteers to grow food in the Persevere Garden. Their aim is to grow food on their patch of the garden for the cafe in the Duncan Place Resource Centre. I think everyone involved in the garden is looking forward to seeing vegetables growing in the garden, and we're especially keen to sample them later on in the year!

Contact us to find out how you can get involved in the Community Garden.

Friends of Dalmeny Street Park are offering a fantastic opportunity for local people to get involved in building planters that will go in the park. Volunteers will be offered the chance to work with Greame Murray, a local sculptor and teacher as well as other professional woodworkers from the Woodschool, near Jedburgh. 

Looks like a great way to pick up some wood working skills from the experts. Places are limited, so if you're interested you should download the flyer here.