Our aim is to use the Community Garden as a space where people of all ages and abilities can come to learn new skills, learn about wildlife and the environment and make new friends while they help to maintain the plants and garden.
There will be regular volunteer days and we will host events and workshops for schools and local community groups.
The Community Garden is situated at the north end of the Jellicoe Water Gardens near the mound. It has been designed with raised beds at different heights as well as space for a mini orchard.
We are hoping to plant a sensory garden using scented and tactile plants such as herbs and grasses as well as growing annual flowers and vegetables in the raised beds.
The mini-orchard has been planted with these local varieties of cordon apple trees:
- Brownlees’ Russet – this was introduced by Hemel Hempstead nurseryman William Brownlees, in 1848. It is crisp and juicy and has a rich flavour.
- Lane’s Prince Albert – this is a dual purpose dessert and cooking apple. It originated in Berkhamsted in the garden of Thomas Squire. It was introduced commercially by John lane, a Berkhamsted nursery man.
- Hitchin Pippin -this is a Dessert apple first recorded in 1896 and thought lost until recently. It is creamy, sweet and juicy. The blossom is a striking bright pink.
- Bushey Grove – a sharp, acidic flavoured cooking apple raised in Bushey in 1897.
Planting these varieties will give us an interesting mix of dessert and cooking apples with a range of ripening times, blossom and fruit colour.
A selection of our first harvest
