Organic horticulture

Our horticulture project is part of the national Time to Change campaign which aims to challenge discrimination and change the way people think about mental health. For more information see the Time to Change website www.time-to-change.org.uk

If you sometimes have time to spare and you enjoy gardening or outdoor work, nature conservation, art and craft work, or carpentry and general handiwork, then you may be interested in becoming involved in organic horticulture.

We have a 3½ acre field in Knowle where plants can be grown organically in a sheltered, pollution-free environment. There is an organic gardener, Julie, at the field who provides advice and guidance. The planning and development of the project is led by the people involved in the scheme.

In addition to growing plants and crops in an environmentally friendly way, we also try and encourage wildlife to the site. At present we have a pond (with dragonflies!) together with a wildlife meadow and a small wood.

Work includes: sowing and potting on seeds, pruning hedges, planting out crops, harvesting crops, building leaf mould and compost bins, maintenance of the site, and, of course, a bit of digging! Work is carried out by individuals according to their individual skills/abilities - you won't have to carry sacks of compost if you've got a bad back!

The site is open on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday between 11am and 2pm. If you would like to be involved in any way or you would like more information, please contact Julie Bennett or Moira Oldroyd at Solihull Mind. Or just come to the field on one of the days we are open.