Dulwich community garden

[monica]

Hi Everyone

We have a lovely community physic garden on the East Dulwich grove, outside Dulwich hospital.

The garden is very resourceful with plenty of herbs, that can be used medicinally.

If you are free one afternoon, pop along to the garden and enjoy the herbs.

We funded the garden and with the help of local building company, Mc Govern Design and build, we have this beautiful virtually ignored community garden.

In the future when I have more time, I may run workshops, in how to make your own tinctures, creams and teas.

Please enjoy

Thank you

Healthmatters Health store

[TE44]

Monica, I love this garden, it would be amazing to see the plants being used and bringing the community together, fantastic idea. I am extremely grateful for this garden, thank you.

[monica]

Thank you TE44, yes its a lovely garden. The community built it for the community. Healthmatters sponsored it, so we could have herbs to use for our own personal use.

Watch this space, I will let you know when the workshops start. We have a lovely gardener who's going to maintain the garden.

[TE44]

I will look out, thanks.

[another annie]

'virtually ignored' - Monica please don't think your efforts with the physic garden so far have gone unnoticed, I enjoyed looking around it last year when visiting the hospital for a blood test. I'm sure I'm not the only one. Great idea, esp for that situation.

[shelly2106]

Doesn't the gardening club at charter east dulwich school next door do work on it? I'm sure as a parent I have heard this. Maybe you could contact them and hold workshop with or for them. I can get you a contact detail if you want

[Sue]

another annie Wrote:

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> 'virtually ignored' - Monica please don't think

> your efforts with the physic garden so far have

> gone unnoticed, I enjoyed looking around it last

> year when visiting the hospital for a blood test.

> I'm sure I'm not the only one. Great idea, esp for

> that situation.

I also have a look to see how the garden is doing when I'm passing or going for blood tests :)

[monica]

Brilliant thank you for the feedback so far. I am not sure about the gardening club at ED Charter, I had a chat with a gardener who said she was now maintaining the garden.

[redjam]

Shelly2106 you are correct - the Eco Friends group from Charter ED run a regular gardening session at the Physic Garden on the first Saturday of every month, run by a very dedicated group of parent volunteers. It's a lovely asset for the area and the plans are for it to continue and thrive once the final phase of the new school is underway. It's not ignored at all, Monica!

[CLM44]

Thanks for the information Monica - we will definitely take a look!

[shelly2106]

Redjam - Thanks for confirming, I knew something was happening with it!

[monica]

Hi redeem

Thank you for confirming, i spoke to a local last night who informed me the garden will be moved, plans are up in the air.

I do have locals informing me of what's happening with the garden, and the last news i received was, the garden is now being tended to by a local gardener. The responsibility of the garden has changed so many times, I'm not sure what's happening. I am connected to the garden because we raised the funds and asked Mc Govern design and build to make and install the raised beds.

So forgive me if I feel a tad responsible for its upkeep. The garden belongs to the community.

[hopeful]

It's really heartening to see that people do notice the physic garden, and to reassure you Monica and all, herbs are being used by us locals! I'm Natasha, the local gardener who has been working with other Charter East parents, friends and local residents to keep this lovely community asset tended, as the transfer of the site to the school takes place. The information above is correct - we have open sessions once a month on the first Saturday, every month, 10am-12 noon (except when this falls within a school holiday - rearranged dates posted on the noticeboard in the garden). The new NHS Tessa Jowell clinic site next door (almost finished!)is installing new raised beds for the community to have continuous access to a community garden, as the existing physic garden will be within the school site, so cannot allow continuous access to the public. They want to make sure that these new beds will be looked after - so are actively looking for a community group to come forward and commit to this - The Vale Residents association are the most likely group so far. It would be great to be able to transplant some of the lovely herbs and wild flowers to the new beds, once a group has committed to look after them!

[Sue]

monica Wrote:

-------------------------------------------------------

I am connected to the garden because

> we raised the funds

With a bit of help from a benefit gig run by The Goose Is Out! at DHFC, headlined by Wizz Jones who (plus everyone else involved) gave his time for free, to be fair :)

[TE44]

Hi Natasha (hopeful),thank you for caring for this community garden. I was wondering how access to the physic garden will work, I feel rather saddened the garden will no longer be open to freely atttend, i have often sat around this beautiful space, reading, relaxing. I realise the new beds will be available, I am wondering why the garden can't move there. Can you tell me when the garden will be moving, thank you.

[Coach Beth]

I enjoyed coming to one of the gardening sessions organised by Natasha and the Eco Group from Charter ED - they've been going for quite a while ... over a year I think... I took home bunches of freshly cut lavendar which was lovely.