We are very lucky to have a one-acre organic garden at Ambios, which is visited and worked by a big range of people. The garden grows food for the team, serves as an educational space for learning about growing and many other topics, and is also a place many people come for mindfulness practices and nature connection. All of these functions of the garden have informed my work over the last year. The journey that has unfolded in the garden over that time is about balancing needs, listening and responding to nature, and the virtue of patience.
The questions I’ve been asking are:
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- How can we evolve this garden to provide for and balance the needs of all (humans, animals, plants and fungi)?
- How can we grow organic, nutritious food and share it widely, as far as our capacity allows?
- How can we do this while repairing our soils and supporting the recovery of wildlife?
- How can we provide space and support for people in reconnecting with nature?
- How can we provide practical education that is contextualised
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Many of the practices, projects, and systems we’ve implemented this year have answered more than one of these questions at once.
We did a lot of work on the Earthship, building a potting bench and kitchen, shelves for storage and a library of books and resources all from reclaimed wood from elsewhere on site. The Earthship is somewhere you can sit and meditate, read a book, sow seeds, do the potting on, make tea or soup, teach a lesson, and many other things… All with a view of the Dart Estuary! It has felt really important to develop a hub in the garden that meets the different needs of the people who pass through. The gardeners and trainees can now use the Earthship as a classroom and sowing/potting area; United Response can take shelter, have a seat and check the board for garden jobs; the Barn Retreat residents can find a quiet spot for meditation; and school groups can gather there when they visit.
In terms of growing, we focused on feeding our soils through using compost teas, adding nutritious mulch and minimising digging. We also adopted much more companion planting (planting different crops together) as a way of managing pests and disease, improving soil health, biodiversity and yield… And the result has been vibrant! Luckily, United Response kindly made us a load of wooden signs to stick in the veg beds, which we’ve painted, to identify what’s growing where. We have lots growing in the garden this Spring, and after the staff and trainees are fed (and sometimes the chickens and rabbit), we have been taking lots of surplus to Food in Community, who provide free veg boxes to people referred to them.
With a focus on caring for wildlife, the garden is surrounded by wild edges, including a pond and lots of piles of logs and brash. We have also been sure to leave some plants to go to seed, not only so birds and other wildlife can eat them, but we can also save the seeds for the next growing season, which we know are successful in our microclimate. Seed saving has been another big project this year, and we’ve got more seeds than we know what to do with! Luckily there are seed swaps organised by Schumacher College, so we have opportunities to give some away and come back with different seeds to try.
This year has been a big learning journey, about how to slow down and listen to nature, and work with its processes and diversity instead of against it. It has been heart-warming and rewarding to see the response of the garden and its ecosystem, and to see so many people enjoying the garden in different ways.
Annie Emery – Ambios Garden Facilitator
Project supported by The National Lottery Community Fund Awards for All
