Thursday 4 February 2016

Nightingale Community Garden joins National Gardens Scheme

Nightingale Community Garden in Dinas Powys is opening for the first time as part of the National Gardens Scheme (NGS), over the weekend of Saturday 2 and Sunday 3 July 2016. It will join seven other Dinas Powys gardens, some of them veterans of the scheme that sees gardens opening to the public and raising money for charity. One of the local charities that benefits is Dinas Powys Voluntary Concern.

As with the private gardens in the Dinas Powys gardens group, the Community Garden will be open from 11am to 6pm over the weekend. The gardens can be visited for a combined admission price of £5.00, with children free. You’ll find home-made teas/cakes and plant sales in some of the gardens. The Community Garden will have volunteers and plot-holders around all weekend to answer questions. I’ll report here nearer the time on planned activities in the garden.

From the NGS brochure:
Nightingale Community Garden, Sir Ivor Place, Dinas Powys, CF64 4QZ
Three years ago the gardens were created on an old derelict playground with funding from Tidy Town Wales. 27 Gardens were created including 2 raised beds for the physically handicapped. Many local residents, young and old, grow a variety of vegetables, fruit and flowers. The excess is donated weekly to the local Food Bank. In addition we have 2 Greenhouses and a communal area for activities.
How to find us: Along pathway between Sir Ivor Place & Nightingale Place. At T-lights on Cardiff Rd, turn R by school if driving from Barry, or L if driving from Cardiff/Penarth. Continue, then take 2nd R at Camm's Corner. You may park here.”

For further information, including details of the other gardens, visit the Dinas Powys Group Gardens page on the National Gardens Scheme website:
http://www.ngs.org.uk/gardens/find-a-garden/Garden.aspx?id=30309

Timeline for Nightingale Community Garden, Dinas Powys:
Jan 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.com/2012/01/creating-community-garden.html
The initial idea and looking for funding

Feb 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/creating-community-garden-2.html
The involvement of Creative Rural Communities and the first plan for the site

Aug 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/08/creating-community-garden-3.html

Oct 2012
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2012/10/creating-community-garden-4.html
Funding in place and residents are briefed on progress

Jan 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/creating-community-garden-5.html
Work starts clearing the ground

Feb 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/02/creating-community-garden-6.html
Building contractors on site

March 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/03/creating-community-garden-7.html
Topsoil is spread and the first garden visit occurs

April 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/04/creating-community-garden-8.html
The plots are marked out and allocated, the first plants go in

June 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/creating-community-garden-9.html
Photos of the garden flourishing in its first year

Sept 2013
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2013/09/creating-community-garden-10.html
The official opening of the community garden, with guests including Jane Hutt AM and Derek Brockway

May 2014
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/05/creating-community-garden-11.html
Progress report a year after opening – a highly productive local food growing area

July 2014
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2014/07/nightingale-community-garden-links-up.html
The Community Garden links up with the local food bank – to supply fresh food to supplement the basic food bank boxes

July 2015
http://sfnottingham.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/the-two-year-old-community-garden-and.html
One of the Community Garden’s youngest gardeners, Dan Tailby (age 6) who grew his first plants in the communal family plot in the garden, is a finalist in the 2015 Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Young Gardener of the Year Awards