PEOPLE with homes in the Woodfield area of Harrogate are being urged to join a new “garden army” which promises to cut their grocery bills and introduce them to a healthier way of life.
Growing Together is a local initiative funded by the My Neighbourhood community-building partnership, with four main objectives.
It aims to teach residents how to make the most of their gardens, using sustainable methods to grow food and flowers while helping native animals and insects to thrive.
A small team will act as administrators for the project and help establish growing gardens at homes which show an interest.
It will then be down to the Woodfield residents who sign up to maintain their garden themselves, although books and tools will be available from a central Growing Together resource.
“I’m sure we don’t need to tell anyone the benefits of growing your own produce,” said spokeswoman Angela Clough.
“Healthy eating and exercise are the obvious ones but gardening can be immensely therapeutic and helps build self-esteem and a sense of achievement. People don’t realise how much food they can grow on a small patch of land – or even on a balcony!
“It’s often getting started which proves the biggest hurdle so we’re hoping, by offering a helping hand, we can get people growing. The initial response has been very positive and we’re hoping we can build on that.”
The Growing Together team will man a stand at Bilton Gala on Monday (May 2) to hand out leaflets about the initiative and answer questions from potential members.
In the meantime, more information is available at www.myneighbourhood.me.uk
