‘And some can pot Begonias and some can bud a Rose,
And some are hardly fit to trust with anything that grows,
But they can roll and trim the lawns and sift the sand and loam,
For the Glory of the Garden occupieth all who come’. Rudyard Kipling
Seaford Town Council, in October 2007, organised a ‘visioning event’ for the Crouch Gardens. The ‘Exchange Project’ was presented by Lindsay Thomas and was described as ‘a new pilot project to turn the fenced off area next to the telephone exchange into a “therapeutic and social garden”, with space for growing, relaxing, socialising, playing and learning’. And so the seeds were sown for the Seaford Community Garden. Many local people helped project founders Lindsay and Wendy Simmons to clear the heavily brambled site and some of those early volunteers including James, Jim, Cameron and Mike are still involved today.
Gradually, over the past 15 years, this enclosed wasteland of 550sqm has been transformed. Vegetable and flower beds were built, paths created and a polytunnel installed. A wildlife pond was added in 2009 and a classroom in 2012.
As you are cheerfully welcomed through the gates on Wednesday mornings 9.30 – 12.30 (Saturday mornings 10-12 in the summer), you can choose fresh seasonal fruit and veg, plants and other garden related items in return for a small suggested donation. The volunteers are a mixed age group with various talents, skills, levels of fitness or just willingness to offer a little time. Some bustle around amongst the beds, Others chat, putting the world to rights, making the tea or tidying the tool shed.
Workshops to teach gardening skills, tool sharpening, woodwork and First Aid have been organised, charity open days supported and our social events are often the talk of the gardens, if not the town! Help has come over the years from groups such as Rotary, Lions and the Keith Baker Trust. Local businesses have kindly given discounts or donated products and/or manpower for which we are immensely grateful. But it’s the people of Seaford and its visitors who contrive to help the garden thrive and fulfil its original mission.
The health and wellbeing benefits of community gardening are well documented. Feeling part of a community is important for mental and physical wellbeing. We are a relaxed, community-orientated group that aims to nurture, educate and produce.
Why not drop in to see our every-changing oasis and, who knows, maybe you’ll feel like growing with us?
email: Seafordcommunitygarden@gmail.com
First published in May 2023 in Seaford Scene
