The Cyrenians’ Horticulture Project was established in 2006, and is steadily expanding. Based in the walled garden at Elliott House an organic garden has been created growing rare and heritage vegetables which are sold to the general public and local restaurants and are used in our own kitchens.
NE4 VEG produces high quality food in an environmentally friendly manner. We use rapid composting, a wormery, comfrey fertilizer, methane gas heating, solar energy and other natural methods to extend the traditional organic and environmentally positive methods already employed. As the food is produced and sold locally, it has very low ‘food miles’. We also keep hens and have developed a wildlife garden.
Although NE4 VEG covers less than half an acre, and is only in its second year of operation it is already supplying more than twenty different vegetable crops including carlin peas, striped tomatoes, black beans and a range of different salad crops
The income from the sale of produce contributes towards the running costs of the project. Everything is “naturally grown” meaning that no artificial fertilisers or pesticides are used in an effort to provide good healthy food.
The project provides training in horticulture for interested hostel residents, giving those completing the programme a good opportunity to move on to careers in horticulture.
Funding has been secured from Local Food to begin a wide ranging training program for those interested in either a career in horticulture, or who simple want to learn how to grow their own fresh-healthy vegetables. Our brief is to encourage members of the local community to start growing for themselves, be it on a very small scale in a few containers or on a larger scale on their own gardens or allotments.
This initiative provides yet another opportunity for service users as they work, train, and interact with members of the local community.
Some of our Service Users are interested in a career in Landscape Gardening. We have developed a project to maintain and improve the grounds of all The Cyrenians properties. We plan to ensure that all of our projects’ grounds are maintained to a standard which will encourage our residents to take pride in them and be motivated to participate.
The range of courses available throughout the year includes:
- All Year Round Gardening
- Beneficial “Insects” – Growing Plants to Encourage them (Mar/Apr/May)
- Beneficial “Insects” – Learning to identify them (Mar/Apr/May)
- Garden Compost – Making it and Using it (May/June/July)
- Garden Skills – The most elementary skills (Jan/Feb/Mar/Apr/May) and (Sept/Oct/Nov)
- Garden Skills – Starting off vegetables from seed (Mar/Apr/May)
- Herbs in Pots (Mar/Apr/May)
- House Plants for Health (Jan/Feb/Mar)
- Organic Gardening – Getting to know about it (Jan/Feb/Mar) and (Sept/Oct/Nov)
- Seeds - collecting and Saving (Sept/Oct/Nov)
- Sprouting Seeds to Eat (Jan/Feb/Mar)
- Vegetables and Flowers – Growing them together (Mar/Apr/May)
- Vegetables and Flowers – Planting for Spring (Sept/Oct)
- Vegetables and Fruit – Growing them in Pots (Apr/May/June)
- Weeds – learning to identify them (Mar/Apr/May)
