The garden is open to all permanent Salterforth parish residents and the code (residents only) for the gate can be obtained from the parish Clerk.  Please email [email protected].

Please follow our Community Garden Facebook page.

THE START!

The Parish Council consulted 50 salterforth residents in person, asking them for their input on their ideas. 100% believed that the community garden would benefit the local community and wildlife. 100% of those living locally felt that they would use the garden in some way. Forty three people said that they would like to help in someway and provided their details. The other 7 people said that they "might" like to help but didn't want to commit. These 7 people were provided with our contact details.

Some quotes we received were "I think that would be perfect use of the space" and "My partner and i have been wondering what was going to happen and felt that it was such a waste. Please get in touch as we would love to help!"

We had support from several local businesses and community groups including Salterforth Primary School, Salterforth in Bloom, The Womens Institute, The Anchor Inn, Lower Greenhill Campsite, Salterforth Nursery (Garden Centre), Dalesview Caravan Park and Pennine Lancashire Community Farm who are all keen to use the garden or support in any way they can. 

The Parish Council successfully applied for funding to go ahead from the Lancashire Environmental Fund and the National Lottery so work was able to begin on the garden and make the area a place that everyone from the village could enjoy.

The aim was to make the garden fully accessible during April to September between 9am and 8pm and October to March between 9am and 3:30pm (daylight hours).

The garden also needed to be environmentally friendly providing more habitats for nature and helping to promote the population growth of bees, birds, butterflies, moths, bats and othe pollinators and try and reduce the reliance on synthetic fertilisers by providing a suitable compost space.   This has given visitors to the garden the opportunity to witness birds, bees, butterflies etc and be accessible to everyone including people with prams or mobility issues and the addition of a polytunnel meant the garden could still be enjoyed in poor weather conditions. 

The Polytunnel

The above shows the polytunnel design and the second picture is showing the beds being laid out in preparation for the polytunnel.

IT'S OPEN!

Finally, the Parish Council with help from villagers and local business finally transformed a piece of disused land and created an environmentally friendly fully accessible community garden.

The Salterforth Community Garden (SCG) serves as a community hub bringing the old and the new residents together. Its open to anyone who has permanent residency within the parish, although we are more than happy for outside voluntary help.

The SCG is a place of improved wellbeing from being close to nature. Stress levels can be reduced from an opportunity to be with plants and insects in an beautiful outdoor environment. Sensory benefits, sounds, smells touch and taste all have a profound impact on our sense of wellbeing.

Growing your own feed can lead to a healthier life style plus gives people skills of how to grow their own.

We have already seen people becoming friends and sharing surplus seeds and produce.

 

WHAT HAS HAPPENED

• Accessible path has been installed to make garden inclusive of all mobilities.

• Educational - Salterforth Infant and Junior School have adopted four beds and maintain 4 raised beds.  They have produced an abundance of produce!  Lessons are held and the children tend and maintain their own beds, in addition they assisted a couple of elderly ladies prepare their bed for the first time by digging and composting their beds with them.

• Local residents - 30 raised beds have been ‘adopted ’and maintained by residents, with ages ranging from 3 years old to over 70.  This includes residents from Dalesview Park residents (with an average age of 75).

• An additional 11 raised beds are designated for general community use.

• Mooring barges - 5 residents from the moorings daily participate in maintaining the raised beds.

• Community groups - the community garden held a ‘bat night ’where a national bat expert came to the community garden and a local bat walk was attended by 25 residents. Four different species of bats were identified.

• Local businesses - 3 local garden centres have provided plants, compost and advice.

• “Brew Boat” regularly calls and moors outside the community garden thereby encouraging attendance and awareness of the community garden.

• Local designer and landscaper contracted to create the garden.

• Create a natural habitat enhanced with food sources for wildlife, water sources, bees, nesting boxes, composting areas.

• Bat boxes are being installed following the expert advice following bat night.

• Nesting boxes in addition to the bat boxes are being installed following bird/bat box event 25 March.  A grant was obtained from Lancashie County Council.

• Local hedgehog rescue are attending to review if the area is suitable for rescue hedgehogs to be released into the wild.

• Bee Hives to be installed by local beekeeper on the undeveloped section of the community garden.

• Orchard - successfully obtained grant (obtained from LCC) to plant 25 fruit trees to create and orchard in November/December.

• Composting area has been created.

• In addition we are looking into complimentary planting to help facilitate organic principles, for example phyical control of weeds via strimming rather than chemical.

• To include raised beds for planting herbs, fruit, vegetables plants and flowers for all to share including local pollinators - all the raised beds are producing herbs, fruit, vegetables and flowers.

• Regular updates on the Facebook page for Salterforth Community Garden (at the time of writing 100 members).

• Polytunnel - polytunnel built and almost ready for use.

• A detailed design of internal polytunnel space and a growing guide has been commissioned and is currently being prepared by the people who designed the community garden (Tom Wilkinson and Ruth Calder).

• To install a water catchment - water butts placed at strategic points to maximise gathering of rainfall.

• Water Trolley - water can be accessed if needed by using the water trolley and obtaining water from the playing field storage area and taken back to the community garden.

• Plant trees for orchard area - obtained grant from LCC (Lancashire Community Orchard Grant) - 25 fruit trees arriving November 2024.