Environment

Environment at 74 Castlebar Road

The environment is one of our chief concerns. The world is continuing to care for herself and we are learning how to be aware of her needs and to collaborate both practically in the garden and by offering hospitality and day events. We feel that one of humanity’s greatest challenge is to ensure that planet Earth can support human life far into future centuries by not only adapting to climate change but also by mitigating it.

Ealing Abbey and its grounds in West London, including Benedict’s Garden, are in the London Borough of Ealing’s conservation area. For this and for many other reasons we try to cultivate the gardens with environmental friendliness. We try to make them interesting for visitors and friendly to wildlife.

We care for our environment in the way we grow our vegetables and in some of the short courses we wish to develop.
We also offer classes on herbs, gardening and the environment in the house at 74 Castlebar Road.

Capital Growth.

Mee Kuon Cheung suggested we join Capital Growth, a London charity for community gardens. Since 16 November 2015 we have become member no. 2471. It has been great to start a gardening club so that more people can enjoy the contact with mother earth, fresh air, the rhythm of seasons and fresh herbs, salads and vegetables.

Global Ecovillage Network

We have applied to be a member of  GEN, an Ecovillage project that envisions a world of empowered citizens and communities, designing and implementing their own pathways to a sustainable future, and building bridges of hope and international solidarity.

Organic:

Benedict’s Garden is cared for by Mee Kuon Cheong, Kamala Singh, Pauline Gilbertson and James Leachman. Recently we have been joined by Rafid Zarra and Barbara. We do our gardening on organic principles.
For example, the garden is frog-friendly and butterfly-friendly, with several small areas of water and damp spots, compost heaps for the wild beasts: and no insecticides are used.

Herbs:

During this year we worked on the herb collection that was replenished and re-organized into different sections. There is also a potager garden which is an old-fashioned type of vegetable garden behind the study centre.

Salads:

During the 2016 growing season it has been great growing salads; lettuce, rocket.

Beans: 

The runner beans are growing great.

Polytunnel

Someone donated a polytunnel for growing salads during the colder months and in the summe months for tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers,

PLANNED RESILIENCE

There are lots of reasons why we might think it important to become more independent of fast food producers and to live more independently.

8 September 2016 JL