Spring volunteer sessions at Granton Castle garden

Dear Friends Group members and supporters, 

Lots of changes happening at the walled garden as we start on our second growing season.
Twenty new fruit trees have been added to the community orchard over the last year to complement the existing heritage fruit trees which sprung back to life in 2018.
Regular volunteer sessions are back on at the garden on the usual days of Sunday and Wednesday.
New time from Wednesday 23rd January: 10am start – 12pm finish. 

Lazy Sundays with same start time of 11am – 1pm.

We will be carrying on with some woodland management, landscaping and designing some newly opened areas of the garden this spring and hope to add some more creative activities for the spring, extra volunteering days, wee glasshouse and a working composting toilet!
Best wishes, 
Kirsty Sutherland
on behalf of the Friends Group

Postal Address
Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden
c/o North Edinburgh Arts, 15a Pennywell Court
Edinburgh EH4 4TZ

Summer update from Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

Dear Friends Group Members and supporters, 

Rain forced cancellation of Sunday’s volunteer mini-session, water butts filling nicely though!

A sunshine filled July and the start of August has brought many new visitors to the walled garden, enjoying the unique atmosphere and tours led by knowledgeable local historians.

Huge thanks to everyone involved in helping at the garden volunteering their time and energy at this busy time of year to open the garden to visitors.

One of the highlights of July was the volunteer picnic and harvest day with a chance to relax and chat together over a bite to eat. Thankyou to Ashley Erdman for documenting the progress with beautiful photographs Tattie Lifting and Garlic Harvesting (see above)

We hope to have another harvest picnic, weather permitting this Saturday the 18th August from 2-4pm. 

All volunteers welcome to bring along family members, neighbours and friends. Anyone you think would like to come and see the secret garden. Bring something to eat, or share too, some refreshments provided.

Brambles are beginning to swell and ripen, so a container with a lid would be handy if you would like to ‘pick your own’ superfruit!

Samples of our first crops from the kitchen garden like new potatoes, courgettes and garlic are still available for a few weeks, remember to bring a bag to take some home to try.

Volunteer mini-sessions set to continue this August on Wednesdays and Sundays from 11am-1pm,

Lots of harvesting, weeding, seedsowing, mulching, compost making, fire-pit building, bramble picking and perhaps some rustic carpentry… Some extra autumn clearance sessions in the planning with a team called the Dirty Weekenders descending on the garden to help with the community orchard preparation and open up more of the South Terrace, previously unexplored.

A short film from footage of recent visit by filmmakers Written in Film helping to raise awareness and document our progress July at the Garden 

Great that we are able to share our first fresh produce at nearby community venues like North Edinburgh Arts cafe, Granton Community Garden & Fidra Community Kitchen.

Lots happening at Granton’s secret Garden, hope to see you there!

Best,
Kirsty
on behalf of the Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

Website grantoncastlewalledgarden.word press.com/

Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden AGM report

Dear Friends Group members and supporters, 

Following our AGM on the 5th May we have a streamlined steering group of eight to take us into our second year at the walled garden with a newly elected chair and one new committee member to go forward in 2018. A massive thank-you to all those who have contributed time and energy over the last year, and even before this too when we began back in 2013 in earnest trying to raise awareness and safeguard this forgotten garden.

Continue reading Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden AGM report

News from Granton Castle Walled Garden

Dear volunteers and visitors, 
Early March was welcomed by blizzard conditions at the walled garden but spring is returning and the birds singing again. The Friends Group will be hosting another drop-in Open Door noon tour and would love it if any of the garden volunteers would like to help or just come along to catch up with everyone and have your say about the latest plans for the garden’s restoration.
The garden will be open from 12-2ish Saturday 17th March. (unless it is bucketing with rain or snowing then a cancellation will go out via Facebook on the day)

Continue reading News from Granton Castle Walled Garden

Lottery windfall for Granton’s Walled Gardeners

Awards for All grant for Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden

Local community group Friends of Granton Castle Walled Garden is one of 22 Edinburgh projects to receive a share of £1.1 million National Lottery Awards for All funding. The community group receives £9800 to commission a feasibilty study and conduct community consultation to plan for the future use and restoration of Granton Castle’s historic walled garden. Continue reading Lottery windfall for Granton’s Walled Gardeners

Friends Group AGM – 11 March

Hi Friends Group members and supporters,

It is now time for our second AGM and very different news to previous years. If you have been following the story so far this winter has seen a change of heart from the garden owners Waterfront Edinburgh Limited and an agreement in discussion with the Friends Group to reopen the walled garden for community use this spring.
In an attempt to gauge numbers for our upcoming AGM for refreshments and snacks we hope you can take the time to let us know if you are attending. Please RSVP or register on the doodle poll. https://doodle.com/poll/cnx9ksf5rbybyv2d
Best,
 
Kirsty