Before joining the Mother Garden Bootcamp in 2023, Lorna had no green skills. She says that she even struggled keeping her house plants going. With gardening and sustainability being such a hot topic Lorna wondered if she could learn about them and possibly even turn her back garden into a space to grow and harvest vegetables. From day one on the course she loved it and calls the course “life-changing”.
As soon as she finished the course, Lorna’s brother, who is an avid gardener, gave her some pumpkin seeds which she planted and was able to harvest in late October. Lorna manages a mothers’ group and she shared the pumpkins out, some of the mothers making pumpkin soup at home for their families. Lorna also does seed sharing with other gardeners and people who want to start gardening,
On Sundays, Lorna goes into her garden and picks kale and carrots with her grandchildren which they cook to have with their Sunday lunch.
Lorna says “You not only benefit from the fresh air when you’re outdoors, you are also mindful in the pursuit of growing. Socialising with other people who all had the same purpose but came from different backgrounds, was really interesting too.”
Lorna was secretly delighted at her father’s amazement when he visited from Jamaica, and saw her garden which now has a greenhouse and raised bed, as Lorna had never shown an interest in gardening before she did the Mother Garden Bootcamp.
This summer, Lorna is looking forward to having conversations with the mums’ group, while gardening. She says “Gardening encourages talking. Growing, reaping and sowing together.”
Precious cargo – one of the pumpkins Lorna gave to a member of her community group
