Visit to Glastonbury Healing Gardens

Contented chickens

Another food story! On August 1st we celebrated the celtic festival of Lughnasad, the first harvest. Also known as Lammas in Christian and Anglo-Saxon tradition. Now we can look forward a season of ripening fruits and bountiful produce as the power of the sun gently fades.

A good time to drop into the Healing Gardens, a community food growing project blossoming into a co-operative.

Conceived and directed by Juliet Yelverton, the land lays behind Wearyall Hill,  a gently sloping field with stunning views of the levels and Glastonbury Tor.

The vision: to create an environment where the community can enjoy the benefits of eating fresh organic produce grown with love, environmental and spiritual awareness.

I love this part of town, such a clear, light energy, wonderful open vistas and a marvellous feeling of spaciousness. The growing beds are configured in an expanding mandala, and one finds oneself meandering along curved paths with treats everywhere.

Meandering pathways

I particularly love that so many  flowers have been planted: I counted several varieties of nasturtium, sweet star shaped borage, vibrant poppies and abounding sweetpeas.

I picked a small amount of green leaves for a lunchtime salad: red veined chard, fresh tender spinach, romaine and a good handful of mint to make a fresh tea infusion.

I could see bushy bright green carrot tops, cherry tomatoes  almost ready and courgettes swelling steadily.

Enormous artichokes towered into the sky and pale young cabbages sheltered under cloches. Everywhere abundance.



I will be writing a blog for the co-operative's new website, in exchange for produce, grown organically by the members, many of whom are already friends. How lovely is that?

Superfresh salad leaves

I am looking forward to the fabulous food, of course. And  it feels good to think of meeting new people, strengthening community and moving into a system based on sharing, collaboration and exchange.

Circumventing conventional economics. Sidestepping the supermarkets and the innumerable ethical dilemmas they pose.
Reducing, indeed eliminating packaging. Zero food miles. From field to plate within minutes.  Eating organically every day.

Being the change, part of the solution, living sustainably in a way that honours nature's rhythms and the sensitivity of our living landscape.

Sounds tempting? Juliet is actively recruiting new members and is hosting an open day this weekend.

Here are the details:

Healing Gardens Co-operative Open Day
Saturday 6th August 12pm - 5pm
Gardens behind 73A Tor View Avenue, Glastonbury
Website www.glastonburyhealinggardens.com
  
You will receive a warm welcome and I hope that you will feel inspired to support the project.

Jennifer