<\/a>The beginning of a new community laneway project<\/p><\/div>\n
We know that horticulture, or the simple art of gardening, is a tried and tested relief for mental health issues and goodness knows the stress people living within cities so full of conflict (past or present) must have to manage – stress that many of us hope we’ll never have to face.<\/p>\n
We were given a tour of two community garden projects that are working hard to \u00a0overcome the issues that surround them and actively do something to improve their lives. It was tremendously encouraging to say the least.<\/p>\n
My next blog post will share the story of the two community gardens as to add them now might send you to sleep it would be such a big post!<\/p>\n
Leaving the North<\/strong><\/p>\nSo what did I and others come away with after our brief tours, talk and meeting?<\/p>\n
I know I wasn’t alone with the positivity I felt as I left, as well as a feeling that a considerable amount of people want to see and help to improve their surroundings through horticulture. That when groups of people (or individuals) want to enact positive changes in their communities rather than negativity they can do so. That these laneways and ‘brown’ spaces exist everywhere, not just in Northern Ireland and there’s no reason whatsoever they can’t be replicated. That classrooms full of young children are growing up in the UK with Horticulture on their curriculum so they are learning the power of plants from very young ages, which can only positively influence them as they grow into young responsible citizens.<\/p>\n
Lastly I came away with a sense of hope. The recent security alerts that are resurfacing in Northern Ireland cannot be ignored, but from one city at least, people are trying to overcome their issues through growing flowers and vegetables. They are experiencing \u00a0for themselves the positive place gardening leaves them in… which can only be a good thing however difficult their task.<\/p>\n
“Hope is a walk through a flowering meadow.\u00a0 One does not require that it lead anywhere” ~\u00a0Robert Brault<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Community gardening is just a beginning.. in The City of Horticulture the people are discovering it for themselves.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4560,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","enabled":false}}},"categories":[171],"tags":[116,867,870,871,866,869,868,873,872],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"yoast_head":"\n
Community Gardening: Horticulture, Hurt, Hope & Healing<\/title>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\t\n