An Introduction to the Horticulture Industry

Last week, we held a special session for Nexus Tribe – our vibrant inclusive group for 16- to 25-year-olds – to introduce them to the horticulture industry. Horticulture is the art and science of growing plants. The session was facilitated by our local partners at Bankside Open Spaces Trust (BOST), an environmental and volunteering charity who care for urban open spaces. 

We started our session by exploring BOST’s EcoHouse, an eco-friendly building with a green roof and pleasantly curved wooden structure, tucked away just behind Red Cross Garden. We weeded some beds and planters, using our hands and garden tools that we had sharpened. We then went to Mint Street Park where we learned about designing for everyone. As part of this, we helped to refresh the dead hedge, reinforcing this natural wall with sticks we collected and plants we cut. The wall had to be welcoming to creepy crawlies without attracting the local fox, who does not go where it can smell humans.

We originally had quite a different plan in mind for the session, which involved discovering the art of cyanotype printing. This is a unique photographic printing process that creates stunning blue prints using natural materials and sunlight. Unfortunately, despite the session taking place on a July day in London, there was not enough sunlight to do this! This made us realise that working in horticulture makes us dependent on the weather. We had to think about how we react when our plans go out of the window, and pivot to do something else instead. 

Also on our agenda was harvesting fruits and vegetables, and enjoying the fruits of our labor by tasting fresh produce right from the garden. Unfortunately we found that people in the community garden had already picked them. This showed us that working in a community garden involves sharing!

Despite the plan for the session being changed due to these unforeseen circumstances, the feedback from our young people was positive, with an average rating of over 7 out of 10. Our aim was to expose them to what a potential career in the horticulture industry might involve. They told us they had fun helping to maintain the wildlife and learning about gardening safely.  

“I enjoyed having to use my hands to dig weeds”

“I liked gardening and using tools. I liked to help the plants.” 

In turn, BOST followed up with us to say how much they appreciated our young people’s efforts on the day. We hope to have more opportunities to collaborate with them again soon. Meanwhile, Nexus Tribe sessions will continue to run twice weekly throughout the rest of the summer and we hope you can join us for the next one. Click here to view the full calendar and book your place. 

Bankside Open Spaces Trust is an environmental and volunteering charity. They care for urban open spaces and boost people's health and wellbeing through accessible outdoor activities.  @bostse1