Community gardens can serve as wonderful spaces for families, neighbours, and local groups to gather and participate in a whole range of activities – it’s not all about having a plot or growing bed!
Arts and creativity in particular are a huge part of Edinburgh’s culture – just look at our film, book, and Fringe festivals. Community gardens can play a role in fostering creativity across the city by:
- bringing people of all ages, abilities, and backgrounds together to express their creativity and engage with the natural world in free, accessible outdoor spaces
- collaborating with local artists, creative groups, and arts organisations to deliver fun and educational workshops inspired by the natural materials around us
- providing families with free, engaging arts activities that spark children’s creativity – particularly during school holidays when there’s added pressure and cost to entertain the kids
Bookbug sessions, mural painting, nature-based crafts – the opportunities for creative fun are endless.
Hutchison Neighbourhood Garden recently hosted a free, nature-based family craft day in collaboration with local artist Claudia, which saw a great turnout, let local children’s creativity shine, and served as the perfect setting for a homemade, shared community meal.
Community Gardener Gaby and artist Claudia were delighted by a great turnout for the event, and kicked off the morning with two workshops for children aged 3-7. They decorated cardboard cut-out hedgehogs with leaves, sticks, and stones they found around the garden, before decorating fox masks with pens. Combining foraging and exploring the garden with fun, creative activities is a fantastic way for children to foster an awareness of, and enjoy what the natural world has to offer.
The garden recently installed a kettle and stove, making it the perfect spot for a cup of coffee and some homemade soup courtesy of Gaby, who catered to everyone by making a gluten-free chicken, pea, and mixed vegetable soup, as well as a lentil, barley, and mixed vegetable soup – both gluten-free, vegan, and especially delicious after a busy morning of crafting!
For the older children and adults, the afternoon was spent creating wall-hangings using more natural materials such as pinecones, and decorating glass jars with pressed leaves and PVA glue to serve as nature-inspired tealight holders – bringing the outdoors into the home as a memorable keepsake of a fun afternoon.
If you’re interested in learning how you can use your local community garden as an outdoor meeting or activity space, find your nearest garden and relevant contact info here, or contact our Community Garden Development Officers who will be happy to help point you in the right direction:
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