Hi to everyone in The Highlands and to all of our new Garden-Sharing friends across the border in Perth and Kinross, Pitlochry, Aberfeldy, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Girvan, Largs, Dunfermline, Dunkeld, Dundee, Peebles and Galashiels.

Earlier this spring when we were dreaming of what life would be like on the other side of lockdown, some pretty amazing communities were organising and planning for real growth and finally putting 2020 in the rear window.

Climate Café

I was very kindly invited to join in on a conversation with some Perth and Kinross community groups to discuss Growing Strategies and met some wonderful people over a Zoom from Pitlochry Climate Café and Discover Blairgowrie to name a few, where we took to discussing what things we could do to make a difference and discovered a great initiative where we can come together to hear each other.

What is a Climate Café I hear you say? A It’s a space where all feelings and ideas are important. A fantastic initiative to get involved in, if you want to share your thoughts and to listen to what groups and projects are in your area and it doesn’t necessarily happen in an actual cafe.

A Climate Café is: “A gathering of people meeting with facilitators to share their responses to the climate crisis – a thinking and feeling space. A confidential, warm, friendly, hospitable occasion. It’s a place where silence is fine. So is rage, and tears also have a place.” There is usually cake, wine and beer.

To find out where your local Climate Cafe is and how you can attend the next event look at https://climatecafes.org/map-locations/

Lots of Space but no allotments.

You'd think that in the abundant space of Scotland there would be a plethora of places to grow produce. However for people who don't have gardens, there aren't actually that many allotment spaces and those that are available are over subscribed. But in the same areas that are lacking in allotment space, there are a lot of large gardens! So Lending and Tending is really a win-win for people who have gardens and can’t manage them and for people that want to get growing and don’t have space!

Fight Climate Change whilst Garden-Sharing

Both Lenders and Tenders can make a difference. The last year has highlighted the many benefits of having access to locally grown food, and Garden-Sharing Lend and Tenders can take charge of the fresh produce they eat and feed their families.

Lenders can compost at home to feed the soil and reduce the need for lorries to transport waste. The growing cycle also hosts an abundance of pollinators and of course, eating locally produced food means less deliveries and the choice to exclude the use of environmentally damaging fertilisers when we grow. There are so many small steps we can take to do our bit for the environment when we grow our own.

Encourage pollinators, discourage weeds, a win-win.

Lorries delivering food in plastic bags; salad we can grow ourselves, equates to 1.8 million cars on the road. We can combat Climate Change growing rocket leaves, and it doesn’t take rocket science. With every ounce of salad we grow ourselves, we’re collectively keeping carbon emissions down.

No Garden? No Internet? No Plastic!

For people who want to get involved with Lend and Tend, but may not have access to a computer or the Internet; the wonderful team led by Kaja at Handam Refil Station: a Zero Waste Shop in Aberfeldy are offering to help you register to Garden-Share. Pop in to pick up a form for a friend or neighbour to fill in with good old fashioned pen and paper and they’ll submit it for you in the lovely shop, whilst you browse for delicious packaging-free goodies.

We’re big fans! We hate to see gardens go to waste as much as they love to see Zero waste. At Handam Refil station, you can refill your tummy and cupboards with wonderful stuff without putting more plastic in the ocean.

We care about Care Homes

We can uplift people who’ve been through a tough time in isolation in care homes, by both gardening for ourselves and also bringing some cheer and activity to their forlorn lawns. In a community where there aren’t many places to garden, there’s a large accessible, potential space for an allotment at the James Care Home in Pitlochry.

There is a lot of space here. A few people could come together, create beds, grow food or flowers and transform the unloved beds into allotment space. So easy with the our favourite no-dig method.

Finally, I know that it seems like summer's lease hath all too short a date, but truly the growing season is year round. If you feel like you’ve missed the early spring growing season, its almost time to get your winter veg in…

The RHS have growing advice on winter vegetables such as sprouting broccoli, Brussels sprouts, kale, winter cabbage and leeks which can be grown in summer as they take several months to reach maturity. They stand well through frosty weather and can be harvested throughout the winter months.

And then there are summer salads which seem to grow almost right in front of your very eyes, so there’s plenty of time to get growing!

For more information

Together for the Planet - The UK will host the 26th UN Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP26) in Glasgow on 1 – 12 November 2021. https://ukcop26.org/

Do visit and shop at Handam Refil Station Zero Waste Shop; https://www.handam.co.uk, both on line and in person and if you’re thinking of a beautiful place for a staycation, pop to Aberfeldy up by train. Leave your car at home (unless its electric).

Visit Discover Blairgowrie, who support and connect volunteers to over 141 community groups like Saturday lunch clubs and a delivery scheme sending Soup and Cake to older people. Take a look at their website to see how you can get involved or buy local produce.

Listen - Lend and Tend recently featured on Heartland Radio with Carole Aitken, Climate Cafes Coordinator:

https://www.heartland.scot/news/local/lend-and-tend-helps-locals-share-their-gardens/

If you have any tips for great climate and garden friendly ideas in the area this summer. Do share with us @LendandTend on Twitter and Instagram or contact us.
In the meanwhile we wish all of our friends in Scotland a happy Summer.