Working in partnership with English Heritage volunteers from Deal With It and its Community Hop growing project 'Deal Hop Farm' has been bringing the historic walled garden at Deal Castle back in use for the community since 2017.
We now want to take the next step and this is where we need your help! We have experienced the most challenging of years and now more than ever, the mindful joys of nature and gardening have been highlighted. Coming together with neighbours and friends to volunteer and give our time to projects that benefit the community is so important.
Restoring the orchard of approx 100 trees which would have existed c1872 will provide many environmental, wildlife and amenity benefits, as well as encouraging more opportunities for volunteering and getting out and about in this beautiful space.
A massive amount of work has already been done over the first 3 season - some 3000 volunteer hours alone in 2020 and we hope to get even more people involved as we grow.
What we'll deliver:
- Plant 100+ trees - fruit, nut, native and flowering Cherries
- Nurture and support diverse habits for wildlife
- Contact the local community into the space via schools and woodworking projects
Why it's a great idea:
- Important step of permanently opening to the local community
- Encouraging volunteering in the community
- Access to nature and gardening outdoors to improve mental health
- Immediate benefits in the context of the climate and wildlife crisis
- Produce more food and educate
- Linkage to Bee keeping starting the garden this year
- Generally enhance the ascetic and wellbeing environment of the garden for visitors
- Meets the requirements of English Heritage's Conservation Statement for the Site
Steps to get it done:
- May 2021: Orchard Crowdsourcing launch Whitsun Open Day 30th May 2021
- Summer 2021 : Finalise Planting Plan
- Stage1 - Autumn 2021: Prepare planting sites
- Stage1 - Autumn 2021: Planting Fruit Trees
- Stage2: Autumn 2022: Prepare planting sites
- Stage2 - Autumn 2022: Planting Fruit Trees
To make the garden more sustainable we are looking to create a charitable trust to run it in the medium term.