Community plant nursery opens at Peterborough's Ferry Meadows to help boost city mental health

A new community nursery has opened at Peterborough’s Ferry Meadows to improve the city’s gardening skills – and its mental health.

Nene Park Trust’s new community plant nursery, Nene Nursery, is now open and will soon be offering sessions for individuals and community groups to improve plant knowledge, skills, health and wellbeing.

Nene Nursery has been created by Nene Park Trust staff and volunteers as part of the Trust’s five-year Your Community Greenspace project. The site of the old wood yard on the edge of Ferry Meadows has been transformed into a fully-equipped community nursery, complete with a potting shed, polytunnel, accessible raised beds, composting area, covered meeting area, plenty of seating and even a composting toilet.

Gareth Lorman, Nene Park Trust Project Officer and the driving force behind Nene Nursery said: “We are so pleased to see the nursery completed and can’t wait to invite groups and individuals to use and enjoy the space. Thank you so much to staff and volunteers who have worked incredibly hard to create this special place, which we know will bring so many benefits to so many people. Thanks too to National Lottery Players, to the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Augean Community Fund for helping to fund the nursery construction and operation.”

Over the next few months, Nene Park Trust hopes to develop many different activities at the nursery which can be accessed by different groups. Teaching how to

grow plants from seed, propagation and plant aftercare will be at the core of nursery activities but there are also plans to expand to cooking the produce grown and picked on site.

Other activities being considered in the future are residency courses such as herbal tea blending or soap making using our freshly picked herbs, and as a base for

therapeutic horticulture sessions. The nursery can also be used as a bookable private space for gardening clubs, social or corporate groups, who just want to come and enjoy this peaceful space.

Nene Nursery has been constructed through funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund and the Augean Community Fund. Nene Park Trust has also received funding from RHS Flourish Fund to enable two six month horticultural apprentice placements on site for young people not currently in education or employment.