Growing in nurseries

We had a few last visits to nurseries at the end of the year to help put the gardens to bed for the winter - tidying up and topping up with compost.

Our involvement with Inverclyde nurseries is growing! We have spent time visiting new nurseries, planning for the Spring and organising monthly inputs, where we will help prepare, plant and maintain the gardens along with staff, families and carers.

Parklea have kindly offered ICFN use of their polytunnel space to propgate plug plants so we can provide a ‘kit’ of plants to get the growing year going. We are sticking to crops that are well-liked and can be used in soups and salads. Our aim is for the nursery children to become familiar with growing food and knowing where fruit and vegetables come from. This will hopefully also encourage them to try fruit and veg that they might not eat at home.

With funding from HSPC, we will be able to offer more cooking workshops in the nurseries this year, with a team of community chefs. Produce from the nursery gardens can be utilised by the chefs as well as nursery staff cooking things like soup with the children.

If you are a nursery or group that we haven’t made contact with yet and would like support to set up a growing space, please get in touch!

ICFN can help nurseries and community groups with a small grant of up to £300 to set up a garden - to buy compost, raised beds, tools, gloves etc. If you would like to apply please email us at admin@icfn.org.uk for a funding application form.