City gardening goes green

By Anna Heywood on Sep 4, 08 01:13 PM

A chance to learn how to 'green' your city garden or 'Tyneside Yards' as they are affectionately known here; is being offered through a ten session course.

The Workers' Educational Association (WEA), the country's largest voluntary provider of adult education, and the Soil Association, the UK's leading campaigning and certification organisation for organic food and farming are holding a ten session course on city gardening at the Jesmond Nurseries, Jesmond Dene Road, Newcastle, from Monday 15 September.

Led by Mick Marston, Northern Development Manager of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens, the course will provide an introduction to livening up your garden or adding colour to a dull back yard - but using environmentally friendly and sustainable methods. It will also look at what kind of shrubs, flowers and vegetables grow well together, and what are the best ways of nurturing them.

For more details of the City Gardening course contact the WEA on 0191 212 6100 or northeast@wea.org.uk.

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dp said:

Sounds good! I'm wondering if there are any local websites with information about food-growing schemes & projects. Where would I look on the web for info?

September 5, 2008 12:58 AM

Anna Heywood said:

Hi dp,
I would start by contacting Mick Marston Northern Development Manager of the Federation of City Farms and Community Gardens for any local groups.

Scotswood Natural Community Garden is another good place to get in contact with www.sncg.org.uk

There are a couple of local Soil Association Groups - check out this page on their website. http://www.soilassociation.org/web/sa/saweb.nsf/GroupHome?OpenForm&Cat=North%20East

Lastly you may be interested to know that Transition Initiative Newcastle (TIN) are hosting a tour with Robert Perez, the permaculture star of the film "The Power of Community, how Cuba survived peak oil".

The film is showing tomorrow (Wednesday 10th September) at 7.pm at the Star and Shadow cinema

On September 26th Roberto, a Cuban permaculture designer who is visiting and touring around the UK will be visiting Newcastle.
Roberto featured in the film extensively describing the permaculture approach, urban organic gardening and the issue of peak oil.
TIN have lined up two parts of the Newcastle leg of the journey, which includes a visit to Scotswood Natural Community Garden at 3pm, followed by a visit to West Jesmond Allotments at 5pm and then to complete the day they will be heading to the Star n Shadow Cinema at 7pm for a presentation from Roberto on the Cuban experience.
An additional treat will be a presentation from Jo Atkinson of Powerswitch, who will give the latest news about peak oil nationally and globally.

Wilf from TIN has offered to anyone wanting to take part:
"Please join us for the whole tour of Newcastle or dip in and out of any part. You can contact myself at any point during the day after 1pm for directions etc on 07906 439084 but hopefully everything you need to know will be here:"

3pm at Scotswood Natural Community Garden can be found within the John Marley Centre, Whickham View, Scotswood. Contact their office on 0191 2004706 or check out their website at www.sncg.org.uk . There will be a tour of the garden and a discussion about community gardening.

5pm at West Jesmond Allotments can be found on Highbury and Forsythe Road. Contact Steve Emsley for more details about the allotment on 0191 2819773 or look at the Newcastle City Council's website for a map of allotments www.newcastle.gov.uk . For this part of the day they will be talking chickens, vegetables, bees, local food and transition towns.

Hope this helps dp and if anyone else can help please feel free to post suggestions.

September 9, 2008 11:20 AM

Anna Heywood said:

CITY GARDENERS MOVE ON -date and venue change
For those of you who were hoping to sign up for the city gardening course, there has been a change in start date and venue Ã¢ÂÂ this is part of the press release IÃ¢ÂÂve just received.
The ten session course was to have taken place at the Jesmond Nurseries, Newcastle but, due to unexpected difficulties with the venue, it will now take place at Newcastle University's Moorbank Botanical Gardens on Claremont Road, Spital Tongues (near to the Cat and Dog Shelter).

The course also has a new start date of Monday 22 September 2008, 10.30 am - 12.30 pm.

The adult education course is offered on Tyneside by the Workers' Educational Association (WEA), the country's largest voluntary provider of adult education, and the Soil Association, the UK's leading campaigning and certification organisation for organic food and farming.

Mick Marston said: 'We'll be looking at what kind of shrubs, flowers and vegetables grow well together, and what are the best ways of nurturing urban nature.'

A WEA spokesperson said: 'There proved to be a last minute hitch with the Jesmond venue but we're absolutely delighted to be able to offer the course at the Moorbank Botanical Gardens which can probably cope better with the high level of interest that the course has attracted.

For more details of the City Gardening course contact the WEA on 0191 212 6100 ornortheast@wea.org.uk. There will also be a WEA information stall at the Northern Rail Community Gala at the Heaton Rail Depot, near Chillingham Road Metro.

September 12, 2008 9:38 AM

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