Islay House Community Garden is situated in a sheltered 4.5 acre walled area next to Islay House in Bridgend. It was originally the kitchen garden, supplying fruit and vegetables for Islay House. The present owner of Islay House decided to lease the garden to the Islay community in 2005. Islay House Community Garden has Registered Charity status, and is intended to promote healthier living and horticultural education.

Recently the garden committee held their Annual General Meeting, where the results for 2011 were discussed. As every Ileach will know, weather conditions through the year were not exactly conducive to successful gardening! The wet and cold periods conspired to restrict growth and production, which translated into lower sales than planned. The generosity of a number of donors, and two Open Days, helped increase income. A full-time gardener, Gill Paget, was employed, with the objective of improving planning and production for the future. There is a need to extend as far as possible the length of the growing (and selling) season, and to expand the range of products offered, including this year a small programme of cut flowers. Much work has been undertaken over the winter to improve the soil condition, and move progressively towards natural and organic methods. Continue reading...

The Islay House Garden is participating in a two-year “Local Produce” project, in partnership with the Campbeltown Organic Garden, and Tarbert & Skipness Trust. This project is being supported by LEADER funding, and gives the garden the means and the opportunity to build up the profile, output and sales of the garden over the next couple of years. While there is now a full-time professional gardener in post, the garden remains dependent on the support of the volunteers who come along to support the considerable work-load involved in keeping everything on track. The more, the merrier in fact!

Following the AGM, office bearers were appointed as follows: Chair, George Dean, Vice-Chair, Jack Adamson, Treasurer, Scott Currie, Secretary, Janey Dean. Feel free to contact the secretary on 810837, or the garden on 07767 688051, for any information about volunteering. Regular Ileach advertisements will also show what produce will be available over the coming months. In the meanwhile you can stay connected with the garden through their Facebook page. Below is a video from 2011 which gives a good impression of the garden.

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