Help combat climate change – grow in your garden

We all have different reasons for growing our own edibles. This could be for enjoyment of gardening, because they make your garden or yard look great, saving money – some things are cheaper to grow yourself and if you save seeds you can grow your next lot for free! Home grown definitely tastes better and having fresh food available to use on your doorstep makes cooking (and eating) much more fun.

Can having edibles growing in your garden also help combat climate change?!

What makes you grow your own? 

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Happy new year and happy growing

It’s always at this time of year I can’t stop thinking about what I might try to grow in my little garden next year. Mark has some great tips for making the most out of a small space and has put together a free guide!

Happy New Year and Happy Growing to you all!

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Well done to Harehills in Bloom

Two years ago we worked with some local residents who were interested in becoming the Harehills in Bloom group. The idea was to set up a pollinator planter on a neglected site which was suffering from constant flytipping. The ideas, energy and commitment have just kept on growing.

Tonight our sister group only went and won “Environmental Project of the Year”. 💚💚💚

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Back To Front is moving on

Have you seen this website http://www.leedspermaculturenetwork.org

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Workshop – Sunday 18 September

Herbs! Often the first step in food growing, they can also be used to make beautiful gifts. Come along to our workshop

Sunday 18th September at Thackray Medical Museum
1-3pm

Learn how to re-purpose ready made soap with beautiful herbs and how to make beautiful paper. We will also have some lovely autumnal sowings and allium seed sets for you to take home in the form of garlic, onions, and black Tuscan kale.

Contact emma3@space2.org.uk  to book a place by this Thursday.

If you are in our funding area Thackray will give you a free annual pass for the museum…well worth a visit!

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Alan, the willow snail born at Thackray Medical Museum!

At the beginning of August 2016 and with the help of local friends, Back to Front constructed a living willow sculpture in the shape of a human size snail by the name of ‘Alan’, it is a bit of a mystery why this is so and you better visit the museum to find out! Everyone enjoyed working together to shape the flexible willow into a delightful pattern designed by our lovely frontline workers Jo and Donna. We planted the snail with traditional herbs that anyone can enjoy and admire. Staff from the nearby St James

Living Willow Sculpture at Thackray Medical Museum

Living Willow Sculpture at Thackray Medical Museum

Hospital and passer byes have enjoyed the benefits of the raised beds already at the museum. Thackray Medical Museum became his year’s Back to Front growing hub partly as a result of its location at the heart of the community and also as a result of it’s proximity to St James, the largest teaching hospital in Europe. The museum through its staff has been incredibly supportive of the ‘Back to Front’ approach to food growing and we know of at least one colleague there who had never gardened before but has now started her own productive little plot at home! Liz, we won’t tell anyone who you are!. St James Hospital also recognised the benefits to patients, families and staff of food growing and are also developing their own set of raised beds at local hospitals starting with a courtyard at Chapel Allerton Hospital. Well done to the team and pleased to have inspired them somehow! Workshops at both SHINE and Thackray Medical Museum run once per month until the end of this year. We are very grateful to Esmee Fairbairn for supporting us

 

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Willow Snail workshop – Thackray Medical Museum

Thackray Medical Museum

Tuesday 2nd August 10am – 1pm

Wednesday 3rd August 10am – 4pm

Come along and create a willow snail

Booking essential

Please get in touch to book a place on the workshop: emma3@space2.org.uk/ 0113 320 0159 (ext: 5)

Don’t worry if you cannot attend both days, you can book for one of them, or both

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Thackray Medical Museum Workshop – Sunday 15 May 1pm to 3pm

Come along and join in relief printing into clay to make fragrance stones, herbal diffuser pendants and cane toppers.
Learn about the qualities of the therapeutic herbal beds at Thackray Medical Museum, and propagate cuttings to take home, along with beneficial herbs used with fantastic medicinal in culinary uses.

Meet at the herbal beds next to the car park at 1 pm

Booking essential

For more information and to book a place please contact Emma Goodway: 0113 320 0159 ext: 5 / emma3@space2.org.uk

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Family Art Workshop – Thackray Medical Museum – Monday 4 April – 11am to 1pm

Back to Front

Family Art Workshop – Thackray Medical Museum (Monday 4 April 11am – 1pm)

Create beautiful prints on cards or a canvas bag.

Some fruits and vegetables which we use regularly have such brilliant shapes – it would be a shame to just eat them!

Create a wild and crazy design or stay sophisticated and simple – it’s up to you!

If you only have a few minutes – why not contribute to our community activity by using a range of interesting composting materials to create a big, imaginative, weird and wonderful face on the floor!

Booking Essential

To book a place please contact Emma Goodway emma3@space2.org.uk / 0113 320 0159 (ext: 5)

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Shine workshop – Tuesday 22 March

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The growers that attended made vertical growing towers from recycled materials.  They also found out how to make a living wall to grow your strawberries and salads and looking at tackling issues of watering by making a self watering bottle tower.
Growers were given strawberries, raspberries and potatoes to take home along with peas, broad beans and salad leaves that were sown during the session.

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