Neuro Hebrides trip to the Hebridean Community Garden

What a fantastic place. The Hebridean Community garden is a new horticultural project in Borve on the Isle of Lewis. It is managed by Galson Estate Trust and Clan Macquarrie Community Centre. Neuro Hebrides visited the project on the 23rd August 2022 for a look around the garden and to find out more.

The Community Garden is a wonderful community green space and has 3 Polycrubs, a sensory garden, outdoor raised beds and an outdoor classroom for environmental education.

Christopher and Fiona from the Hebridean Community Garden showed us around.

We started our tour at the Sensory garden, a wonderful space with a mini wildflower meadow full of poppies, Wild Carrot, Yarrow, Cornflowers and much more. It's wonderful to see the different flowers blowing in the breeze. The garden also has different roses which small amazing, and many different other plants and flowers which stimulate the senses of touch, sight, scent, taste and hearing.

The Polycrubs are amazing. Designed to withstand the Hebridean climate, the Polycrubs are a perfect microclimate for growing flowers, fruit and vegetables, and can extend the growing season.

There is space in the Polycrubs for people from the local community to have their own growing space, and there's all sorts growing in there including Tomatoes, Lettuce, Beetroot, Onions, Fennel, and chard, plus flowers including Cosmos and Cornflower.

The results of the first season at the Hebridean Community Garden are really impressive, and will be providing not only flowers and vegetables, but also a space for enjoyment, relaxation, education, fulfilment, reflection and so much more.

The Hebridean Community Garden runs a variety of gardening classes and open days and they work with Plòigh and Dùthchas to support the wider conservation and education in the local community.

Neuro Hebrides would like to say a big Thank you to the team at the Hebridean Community Garden and at the Clan MacQuarrie centre for being so welcoming and for sharing their place with us, and thanks to Horshader Community Development for taking us there in their Minibus.

We look forward to visiting again soon.