About Us

Our Story

Welcome to our community garden

It’s been a blank canvas for so long, but now work has started in earnest on the garden. Come along with us on our journey and watch it grow. We want it to be a special place in the heart of our community of Haxby and Wigginton:

Somewhere to pause and breathe

Somewhere to be with others, to be with new friends and old

Somewhere to grow

Somewhere sustainable

Somewhere to find biodiversity

Somewhere beautiful

Located next to the GPs surgery, we are partnering with them and many others to provide opportunities to thrive and grow. Follow our story here and social media to find out how you can be part of it, in big ways or small.

Or just come and enjoy it and find a small oasis of peace and relaxation.

The Whole Life Community Garden Team

Meet

Our Team

I became a ‘proper’ gardener during lockdown and recognised first hand how much gardening helped with mental health. The magic of nurturing something like a tiny seed and seeing it miraculously grow seemed to be a glimpse of hope in a crazy world.

Favourite gardening tool: My bright pink wellies!

Favourite garden creature: Ladybird (they are cute and keep the aphid numbers down!)

Favourite thing to grow: Green beans. I love watching them almost literally growing before your very eyes.

Least favourite gardening job: Weeding

I have been a gardener for many years now and my passion is growing things to eat. I had an allotment for several years but now concentrate on our veg plot in our back garden. It is hard to beat the taste of freshly grown fruit or vegetables of any description.

Favourite garden tool: My Trug for carrying my harvested vegetables back to the house.

Favourite garden creature: Frogs (they eat slugs)

Favourite thing to grow: Courgettes

Least favourite gardening job: Watering

I enjoy gardening and wanted to get involved in a community garden as a space where you can experience nature and gain gardening skills in an accessible way that contributes to our mental and physical wellbeing. It’s also good to understand why it’s so important to protect our environment. Professionally, I have been working for the Environment Agency for over 30 years and I am really keen to find ways as a community to protect and enhance our local environment and biodiversity.

Favourite garden tool: Trowel – so handy for planting vegetables and weeding!

Favourite garden creature: Hedgehog – you know your garden is organic if there is plenty of food for them.

Favourite thing to grow: Cacti and succulents – they have amazing flowers and thrive on neglect!

Least favourite job: removing couch grass from our borders.

I got involved with the Community Garden because I love how committed the team are to engage with the community. I don’t think of myself as a gardener so I will be learning along with everyone else. I do love being creative and I’m looking forward to finding new ways to involve the people of Haxby and Wigginton in their community garden.

Favourite gardening tool: A spade, because you can jump on it!

Favourite garden creature: Bees, because they do a great job.

Favourite thing to grow: Herbs, especially Basil. I love it with my tomatoes.

Least favourite gardening job: Remembering to water everything

After thirty-plus years in the NHS as a nurse, I have recently retired and wanted something to do. Setting up a new charity wasn’t my first thought (a good book with cake and coffee was my first choice) however being outside with nature is fundamental to my DNA.

Favourite garden tool: A seat – taking time to enjoy the beauty all around.

Favourite garden creature: Hedgehog – useful, adorably cute, and can be prickly. A bit like humans really.

Favourite thing to grow: Trees.

Least favourite gardening job: Anything that hurts a bad back or wonky knees!

And Special Thanks to...

There were some very special people who were hugely important in bringing to life the community garden, each bringing their own skills, enthusiasm and sheer hard work. We’d like to thank them for everything they have done for the garden and the community.

To Keith, Katrina, Penn, Carol and Janet, with love and gratitude.