Urban garden.qxp_Layout 1 20/04/2022 13:02 Page 1
CITY | GARDENS
Urban greens
Emma Clegg visits ‘the smallest garden centre with the biggest heart’ and finds a collaborative social enterprise that offers a host of plants and garden products, but also has the power to boost emotional and physical wellbeing Opened just a year ago, the bijou but bustling site is leased by BANES Council to Grow Yourself, an established Community Interest Company (CIC). The Urban Garden project received funding from the National Lottery. Executive director Matt Smail, who previously ran Bath City Farm, explains that The Urban Garden works in partnership with BANES Parks department, which grows up to 60% of the plants sold in the Council’s nursery, adjoining the site. Ten percent of the overall takings goes to the nursery to fund the growing of the plants. The Urban Garden sells houseplants, outdoor plants and a mixture of annuals and perennials, along with bulbs, seeds and all sorts of garden accessories and products,
from garden pots and outside mirrors to bird tables and feeders, with a number of products made by local artists. Sustainability is high on the agenda with all compost peat-free and supplied in refillable bags. There’s also a supply of ‘POSIpots’ by the till so that when a plant is purchased, it is transferred to the biodegradable POSIpot which can be planted in the ground or recycled by the buyer, and the plastic pot is kept for future use, helping to close the plastics loop. And with so many plants grown by the nursery travelling just a few metres to get to the centre, the carbon footprint is exemplary. As a small enterprise, the company has to be clear about its emphasis, says Matt: “We have to be different to enable us to better compete with the larger garden centres. We specialise in ideas for smaller urban gardens and we offer a really good customer service – we’re friendly, we like to have a chat and offer advice.” The recent introduction of an on-site horsebox café selling hot and cold drinks, cakes and pastries (all sourced and made locally) extends the social potential even further.
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It’s a long road for some people to get into employment but hopefully we are helping people with that
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ardening is uplifting, restorative and full of heart. But there are times when the garden retail industry feels impersonal, powered by turnaround, and devoid of the chance of a chat with a friendly specialist about how to start growing tomatoes or what plants might best suit your partially shaded westfacing balcony. We have the solution. The Urban Garden, located on the border of Royal Victoria Park at Marlborough Buildings, described as “the smallest garden centre with the biggest heart”, brings the matter of plants and gardens down to an accessible size where human interaction fuels its every endeavour.
Matt Smail
