Community and Forest Garden

Marion Gaze

In honor and memory of Jen Berry who was a peace campaigner and chaired Waveney Greenpeace which organised the Waveney Greenpeace Fair, a major Greenpeace fundraiser for 25 years. She campaigned against nuclear and in her later years she was known throughout Halesworth town as the town litter picker (who longed for snow). Although we said we’d like to plant an orchard for her, I think she and Will (her husband and visionary basket maker) would like this interpretation, this beautiful space, this forest garden.

I did an inspiring forest garden course years ago and have wanted to be involved in creating one ever since.

Pippa Guard/Evans

About the same time as Marion was pioneering organic growing here in East Anglia, my mother and father were doing the same in Canada. After a conventional working life in the UK they emigrated, bought a x acre small holding and became farmers. They became known as the pioneers of salad in bags – unheard of in the shops then – which they grew, baged and supplied to restaurants. Blueberries are what has survived on the farm they started, and they grow on the land to this day, so blueberries are what I am keen to grow them on the land here!

Jannine Parry

As a resource for forest school children and educational resource for all local children, to embed them in the land, the seasons, the soil.
I also like the idea of combining all three parts together: the agroforestry, the forest garden and the community garden.

My particular interest is in healing plants.

Rachel Kellett

I first saw a forest garden around 30 years ago at Tim Smit’s The Lost Gardens of Heligan. I’d never seen anything like it.

Yes, later Wakelyns and in particular Martin and Ann Wolfe, are one of the 4 corners that underpined my decision to buy both the wood (10 years ago) and the land (2 years ago), so creation of alleys, with hazel coppice was a natural. I have engaged with community through my life, and as Holton has no alotment, this seemed like a natural offering, to help create a community garden. A Forest Garden linked between the community garden and the alleys, taking up as much land as it needed. I too like the symbiosis of the three semi natural structures.

I am not a grower, so am dependent on Marion Jannine and Pippa for their good years of earth experience of growing.

Community Garden

South facing, 8 meters deep, 50 meters wide. Sandy loam. Hornbeam hedge planted 2022 southern edge. Potatoes grown by Marion 2024 successfully.

• March – beds prepared with black plastic
• Paths to be cardboard then chippings

2025

Sam made the fence and spread the chippings

Marion planted potatoes and squash

Community Garden Friends formed.

Forest Garden

Short video from Martin Crawford describing the principles of Forest Garden (2010)

North of south facing community garden. 10 meters 50 meters wide Sandy loam, sown with Phacelia successfully in 2023.

Set up CIO

• Trustees/Structure/

Alleys – Hemp/Sunflower/Vine

Plants

• Wormwood
• Russian comfrey: Russian comfrey or Quaker comfrey is a common hybrid between Symphytum officinale and S. asperum. It represents the economically most important kind of comfrey. It occurs naturally in Caucasus region where it grows in waste areas and disturbed soils.

Cindy book

Fava beans alleys – Josiah

Sea Buckthorn (https://www.hedgesdirect.co.uk/) 10

Water

Set up simple pole barn for water harvesting