Photography by Colin Hattersley

Growing Together – it’s in the name! While we support council estate residents to start community growing projects with their neighbours or get involved in those that already exist in their local community, each individual growing project is also part of something bigger. They make up a web of gardens across Edinburgh, connected by shared goals among the like-minded folk that make them thrive – to build community, grow food together, and do something positive for themselves and others.

So, what better way to bring those folk together than with our first ever Harvest Celebration – good food, fun, and lots of rich discussion about community food growing made for a fantastic evening in September.

We kicked off the event with a tour of Sunshine on Leith Community Garden (SOL,) courtesy of participant Moyra. SOL is a tenemental backgreen with a vibrant group of growers that have worked together to create a beautiful garden in and for the community, which made it the perfect place for our guests to get inspired, by seeing first-hand what is possible for their own growing spaces.

Drill Hall hosted us for the rest of the evening, which, after welcoming the great turnout of gardeners and organisations, began with a Challenges of Community Growing Workshop. After discussing the challenges faced by growing projects in the city, each group was tasked with picking a challenge and brainstorming solutions. It was fantastic to see a cross-section of gardens and organisations exchange lots of creative ideas – some new, and others drawn from the wealth of knowledge and experience in the room.

‘Highlight: Meeting so many enthusiastic folk and the positive impact on mental health.’ – Guest feedback

We were also grateful to be joined by community councillor Katrina Faccenda, who gave us an informative and thought-provoking speech about the ‘right to grow’ for communities in Edinburgh, and how Edinburgh Council can facilitate that – a great reminder to contact your local councillor to express your desire for more community growing opportunities in your area.

Following this – it was time to enjoy some delicious food together courtesy of Out of the Blue Café (OOTB,) featuring produce donated by some of the fantastic gardens. Freshly pressed apple juice was also on the menu thanks to those donations, which was such a treat!

Diving into workshop number two, Future Greenspace, everyone discussed what opportunities they saw for more community gardening and greenspaces in their communities – a conversation that was brimming with ideas and will continue long after the event. The gardeners’ enthusiasm and care for their growing projects and communities was palpable here, and it was a real joy to witness their hopes for the future.

‘Loved exchanging ideas with other gardens, lovely film and delicious food.’ – Guest feedback

Our workshop portion ended with First Steps, where we had some great suggestions about how we can start to drive more action and change for community growing and greenspaces using the resources and knowledge available to us.

Edible Estates Growing Together 24 Event, Thur 26/09/2024:
Photography from: Colin Hattersley Photography – cphattersley@gmail.com – (+44) 7974 957 388 – www.colinhattersley.com

To round off a great evening, we wanted to celebrate the achievements of the gardens, beginning with the premiere of a film put together by Glenda Rome showcasing the amazing things taking place in community growing projects across the city – there was a real sense of pride in the room while watching!

‘So inspiring seeing what is happening in other community gardens. Exciting to think of the possibilities!’ – Guest feedback

Then, from creating a community orchard, securing funding, or making a garden more accessible, to beekeeping sessions, new compost bays, and a spectacular wildlife pond – every garden received a certificate and a Golden Trowel to mark all their fantastic efforts. Keep your eyes peeled for a full list and photos of the winners on our Facebook and Instagram.

With that, the celebrations ended, leaving us all with lots of ideas, inspiration, and things to consider moving forward. Feedback from our guests suggested this relaxed forum was a great way to bring community gardeners and local organisations together to support one another through the exchange of knowledge and resources, with suggestions for improvements to future events taken on board. As the year draws to a close and we begin to reflect and plan for 2025, we’re looking forward to highlighting and exploring the themes, challenges, and solutions discussed in the event’s presentations and workshops on our blog over the coming weeks. Here’s to many more events like this in the future!

‘It was super inspiring to have so many community minded folk in the same room! The evening showed the power of celebrating together and sharing learning. Here’s to much more of that!’ – Pippa Lobban, Garden Development Officer

A massive thank you to OOTB for the delicious community meal, Moyra and SOL for the garden tour, and of course to all of the gardeners and organisations who came along and made for such a positive, engaging evening.

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