Greenway Garden Is Good For You

Greenway Garden is a much loved patch of the Greenway site to the left of our building. It’s home to a couple of apple trees, a bug hotel, a few beds and a dense woodland floor of plants.

As a wintery lockdown set in and greenery disappeared from the outside world, a group of staff decided on a project to reinvigorate the area so the community can have an extra space to enjoy outside. Covid19 has made us value outdoor spaces so much more – this has often been our only respite. For staff in particular, we wanted to have a space where we could have outdoor meetings, a place to see wildlife, or simply a space to enjoy our lunch. Having a break from the desk and screen is really important!

We currently have a monthly work day for Southmead Development Trust staff and volunteers to take part in. We have a few tasks each time to progress the space. May’s work day coincided with Mental Health Awareness Week and the theme was Nature, which felt very appropriate! We created a herb bed using the no-dig method and, after much to-ing and fro-ing with wheelbarrows, we wood chipped an area where we’ll soon have an improved bench.

We were lucky to escape the showers and had some lovely, bright sunshine. We were amazed by the difference just one month can have on the growth of the plants! The apple blossom looked especially beautiful. It was a treat to see our colleagues and volunteers in person, get moving, be around lush greenery and create something beautiful. The hope is that the herbs flourish and can be picked for lunches as well as attracting lots of pollinators.

As the months and seasons continue, we look forward to seeing how the garden progresses, how it changes and thrives, and how much wildlife we can spot!