Aberlour Community Garden breaks ground to help residents with mental wellbeing

The garden will be used to help bring the community of Aberlour together.

By Ross Hempseed

February 12 2023, 8:00 pm

A group of volunteers breaking ground on the new Aberlour Community Garden. Image: Andrew Kimmitt.

Aberlour residents gathered for the groundbreaking of a new community garden, which will help promote mental well-being.

The garden is located on an area of land known as the Glebe, near the River Spey, and will use a special method for growing – called the “no dig” permaculture method.

It uses flattened cardboard boxes and dried grass to block out sunlight from the grass underneath, creating soil suitable for growing produce.

This means the large field will not have to be ploughed, which could disturb the soil and nutrients and use less work-intensive farming practices.

Aberlour Parish Church from the River Spey. Image: DC Thomson

The project is a vision by community members and Aberlour Parish Church to offer a space for the community to come together.

According to Rev Andrew Kimmitt, these types of projects are great for helping to promote mental well-being in close-knit communities.

Organisers intend to use the nearly £10,000 in funding they received two years ago from TSI Moray to develop the field into a multi-purpose space.

Mr Kimmitt says that, due to the closeness of the church graveyard, an area of reflection with seating under newly planted fruit trees would be a great addition.

As well as produce growing boxes, there will also be a Polycrub greenhouse erected to act as a growing space in the summer months and as a gathering space for teaching classes.

‘Whatever we do can be owned by the people doing it’

Mr Kimmitt says the project wants to use a “light touch” so that people are more conscious about how they use and appreciate the land.

This weekend marked the groundbreaking, with Mr Kimmett noting it would be a while before it was transformed into a working garden.

“This is a really good site, which could benefit the community and do something around building community and it be outdoors.

Members of the community will be able to use the garden and help plant produce for everyone to use. Image: Shutterstock.

“The evidence of many studies shows the benefits of coming together, particularly around communal work such as growing and gardening.

Organisers have already reached out to schools in the area to have schoolchildren come down and assist.

Mr Kimmitt says he feels strongly that community is built around communal projects whereas a group of people can work towards achieving a common goal, which the new garden will do for Aberlour.