I found out about Emmaus Merseyside through my friend and together we first visited the community garden in September 2020. At the time I was looking for something to do during the lockdown, specifically in the open air. I had recently had my own garden redone, so I was looking to expand and do more gardening on a bigger scale.
When we first visited, the garden had two polytunnels and a few raised beds, but it was all knee-high in weeds. We spoke to the staff and started volunteering straight away, getting the site ready for growing. All we did really from September through to Christmas that year was tidying, removing old crates, tyres and overgrown vegetation.
The seed queen
My specific role as part of the garden team is seeds. I’ve been left in charge of seeds – planting, watering and helping them to grow in the polytunnels and potting them on before planting out into the main beds. Other volunteers then tend to the main beds and my job starts again, planting new seeds from afresh. I enjoy potting little seeds at the start of the year and seeing things coming up. It gives me the most satisfaction and when nothing comes up, I get really sad.
The garden is now producing plants, herbs and baskets which are sold at the Emmaus Merseyside Charity Superstore. All the proceeds from the sale of these items are ploughed back in to help sustain the charity and the support they offer to formerly homeless people.
The main difference from gardening at home to gardening at a community garden is size. We’ve got to think about not only growing a few little things but growing at scale. We still haven’t got our head around it because we’re only in our second year but we’re learning and have succeeded in some areas.
Alongside growing plants and produce to sell, we also grow food that is used in the Emmaus Merseyside community kitchen. There are potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, garlic and herbs which the Emmaus companions like to use in their cooking.
We have lots of exciting plans for the community garden in 2022 and beyond. At the moment we are going out to garden and flower shows, taking little herbs and herb gardens, and building up to have our own on-site market garden area. We don’t want to over-face ourselves, run ourselves ragged and not succeed anywhere, so we’re taking things step by step.
Working together
Working as part of a community of fellow volunteers and companions is nice and I’ve made a few new friends here. I’ve become more sociable through volunteering at Emmaus. I generally like my own company so this has given me an outlet to be social and I can go home in the evening, be on my own and feel OK about it.
To others thinking about volunteering in a community garden I’d say go for it. Find out what’s happening in your area, get involved and once you settle down, you’ll fit in fine.
If you do volunteer, it will take you a bit beyond your comfort zone and that’s never a bad thing really. Too far beyond your comfort zone and you tend to give up but if you push just a little bit, that’s so much better and you’ll develop as a person.