Newquay Orchard interns and volunteers spent a day with renowned permaculture expert Sid Hill, creating two ‘edible meadows’ at the community green space.
The multi-award-winning garden designer, teacher and researcher, who has appeared on Gardener’s World and trained at the Eden Project, worked with the Newquay Orchard team, teaching them about ancient agriculture techniques and the importance of permaculture.
Hetty Ninnis Sustainable Landscapes Manager at the Orchard said: “It was a great experience for our students and volunteers to work alongside Sid, creating two new edible meadow beds here at Newquay Orchard. They’ve been a part of something which will benefit the local wildlife for years to come, by introducing multiple species of plants in a concentrated area. A fantastic project for biodiversity – with the added ability of being available for harvest by our volunteering community.”
Seeds sown should begin to grow in the next 6 weeks and, once fully grown, our volunteers will be able to forage for chicory, sanguisorba minor and radishes among other species, planted by the Orchard community. The two new edible flower beds can be found near the new Market Garden at Newquay Orchard, which is sharing produce with volunteers and the newly opened Canteen at the Orchard.
Sid Hill describes his work as ‘stewardship of the land,’ creatively working towards a goal of regeneration and sustainability. He shares the Orchard ethos that we can live together with nature and create a community that promotes wildlife, whilst benefitting from it together.
He said: “The reason I became a professional ecological gardener is so I could actively work to make a positive impact on the environment and society. It’s time for gardeners and land managers to help lead the way in regenerating ecosystems and adapting to climate change – something Newquay Orchard demonstrates perfectly.”
The word permaculture derives from ‘permanent agriculture’ and the gardening technique originated in Australia, bringing together growing practices from indigenous cultures from across the globe. It puts a strong emphasis on people working and living harmoniously with nature.
Newquay Orchard has been built by the community for the community. The urban greenspace has a number of social programs and educational opportunities to help the local community, and they are continuing to add to this delivery all the time.
Hetty concluded: “As an official permaculture site it’s really important for us to be experimenting and leading the way in exploring how we can make our landscapes more edible. We’re always open to learning new ways in which we can grow food and plants sustainably here at Newquay Orchard and listening to local experts and sharing knowledge with budding ecologists is priceless.”
