Joint Island centre’s gardener, Terry Over, shares his reflections on growing food on Iona and Mull.
It’s all about the Kitchen
The menu announcement in the Abbey Refectory this evening was “Abbey Garden rhubarb cake”. It is so important that we make the connection between garden and kitchen as strong as possible.
We are working closely with Anja – Abbey Cook – to work out what to grow this season, advising what is currently available in the gardens, but also dreaming and plotting the future model of what that connection could look like. The Iona Community commitment to care for the earth, supports growing more food ourselves. It would be as local as it possibly could get, it would be organic – no synthetic fertilisers, it would be biodiversity friendly – no synthetic pesticides or herbicides – therefore low carbon. It would be championing nutritious vegetarian food as part of a healthy diet and give more opportunity to tell the story of the many benefits of sustainable gardening.
Camas is closed, but our stewardship continues, so Rachel is taking the opportunity to sow and grow as much food as possible so that we can utilize the two exposed lazy beds and raised beds in the polytunnels to keep them productive, healthy and providing food for Abbey guests. Thus far the harvest has included rocket, lettuce, potatoes, chard, aubergine, kale, garlic, water cress, french beans, blackcurrants and mint.
Those raised beds in the polytunnels that we will not use this season have had a green manure grown in them, layered with seaweed from the shoreline and covered in re-usable sheeting to block out the light, so that they will be nutrient rich and ready to go for the next growing season.
The five (or maybe six) lazy beds are a different story, for nature has truly moved in during the absence of any gardening workforce. Each bed is approximately 40m long by 1.5m wide; one is free of “weeds” and has been sown & planted, but the others require slow, militant, determined, weeding, and the covering of re-usable sheeting to exclude the light and wild flower seed heads blowing in; these too will then be ready for productive use in future seasons.
Meanwhile back on Iona, we are clearing an existing flower bed in the Abbey garden to grow more perennial vegetables such as sorrel and sea kale, as well as more soft fruit. The offer of a substantial number of blueberry and gooseberry bushes, along with the fact that raspberries and blackcurrants grow so well in the island climate and soils, is allowing us to consider better low maintenance and productive use of the land at Dunsmeorach.
The existing vegetable beds have also been sown, and whilst we have finished enjoying the delicious perennial ever giving rhubarb, we will continue to harvest lovage, rosemary, mint, fennel, and the variety of vegetables as and when they are ready; for us gardeners understand that it is all about the kitchen!
Terry Over – joint Island Centres Gardener
USA North East