Clovenstone Community Garden

The Clovenstone Neighborhood Garden project was started in 2016. The garden has raised beds for up to 35 growers, a community orchard, a large community shed, and a polytunnel that is shared by the growers. The garden is located alongside the Clovenstone Primary School and the Clovenstone Community Center, which hosts the Sunflower Food Pantry.

Each week, the garden sends some of its excess produce to the food pantry for local people to use. For several years, pupils from Clovenstone Primary School have had access to the garden and teachers have brought groups of students or individual children to use the garden as an educational space. The nursery has also made use of the garden in the past.

Our current projects at the garden focus on using the principles of the organic ‘no-dig’ movement to enhance soil health in the community beds. By improving the soil, we aim to grow more nutritious, organic food—both for our gardeners and the wider community. Any surplus produce will be donated to the Sunflower Pantry.

Additionally, we are planning and developing a ‘Bee-Friendly’ area, which will include a ‘Medicinal Herb Garden.’ These additions will not only enhance the garden’s beauty but also serve as valuable resources for the community.

The garden maintains a positive relationship with the community center and the food pantry, providing them with fresh produce on a regular basis. The garden has a diverse membership of around 20 people at the moment, and the community gardener, Richard Mulvey, is there to support the growers on 9.15am to 12.15am on Tuesdays and Saturday mornings.