The Garden
Volunteers have worked together to bring this once-derelict kitchen garden in East lothian back to life. They have helped create a beautiful, productive space where people and plants are able to flourish. Since 2016, our aim has been to provide a beautiful garden space for people and plants to grow – a perfect place for the nurture of Health and Wellbeing, and the promotion of Biodiversity and Sustainability.
So far, we have laid out the structure and created several planted areas of flowers, shrubs, willow, and vegetable beds, an orchard and a forest garden. We also have a volunteer hut, bee hives, and a polytunnel, and we provide opportunities for developing horticultural and craft skills through practice and courses in our new craft centre.
We are still in the early stages of a 25 year project, so there are so many opportunities to get involved. It’s really exciting to see the garden develop, and it has great potential, so we would love others to come along and enjoy this journey with us.
Our History
From the mid-18th century until the latter part of the 20th century, the kitchen garden supplied Gilmerton House with fresh fruit and vegetables. In its heyday, the garden was managed by a Head Gardener who lived in the adjacent cottage and supervised a considerable team of gardeners. After World War Two, the garden fell into disrepair but was successively used as a barley field, a Christmas tree plantation, and a sheep field.
In 2016, we came together as an enthusiastic group of volunteers who saw an opportunity to create a new productive growing space, and we worked to recreate a design drawn up by project director, June Tainsh. June supported and trained us in horticultural practice, which gave us the confidence to continue as a self-managed, co-operative group when she left in the summer of 2018.
Growing Matters was formally constituted as a charity in July 2017, and we have taken over a 25-year lease on the walled garden.
Our Projects
Volunteers play a key role in designing all our projects, and are recruited to specialist groups that suit their energies and interests. We understand that some volunteers may prefer less physically taxing tasks and are welcome to do as little or much as they wish.
All volunteers help with the general maintenance of the garden, and can choose whether to work within a group or on their own – there is always more weeding, mowing, staking and pruning to be done!
Current Projects
ABOUT GROWING MATTERS
“Growing Matters is a charity established to develop an old kitchen garden on the Gilmerton Estate in rural East Lothian. With volunteers at its core, Growing Matters practises its values of Health & Wellbeing, Biodiversity, and Sustainability to create a beautiful and productive space where people and plants can flourish.”
Get Involved
Growing Matters is completely run by volunteers who are all enthusiastic amateurs with a passion to see this wonderful garden develop and realise its potential. All our volunteers help with our rewarding projects, reaping the benefits that come from gardening in a beautiful environment and a relaxed community atmosphere.
