Eden Project

Cornish community allotment creates traditional African keyhole garden

Families just down the road from Eden, in the village of Penwithick, have created a special garden based on a traditional African design (right).

During an open day at the Penwithick Community Allotment, residents pitched in to create the communal garden, in which a raised circular bed is built around a central compost pit. The idea is that everyone who tends to the garden contributes to the compost pit, which in turn benefits the plants.

The keyhole garden was such a hit that it prompted one of the residents to donate a large amount of chicken manure, which is giving the newly planted peas, spring onions, sprouting broccoli and salad leaves, a flying start.

Residents were invited along as part of the Eden Project’s Seeds, Soup and Sarnies programme, which encourages people to grow, cook, eat and share produce with their families and the local community.

Claire Harris, who helped to organise the open day, said: ‘The community allotment is a fantastic opportunity for the families in Penwithick to experience the adventure of growing and the pride of eating their very own fruit and veg.’

The Seeds, Soup and Sarnies group (below) meets every Thursday morning from 10am to 12 noon in the Penwithick Community Centre and start off with a cup of tea and a chat about their growing and cooking successes. When the weather is fine, the group garden in the community allotment. Contact Cornwall Family Learning on 01872 327520 if you’d like to join in.

Or why not use these instructions to create your own African keyhole garden?

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Categories:

Community, Health, Horticulture

Tags:

Cornwall, Food, gardens, Horticulture