Oasis Community Gardens: They Turned A Derelict Field Into A Thriving Garden
The volunteers at Oasis Community Gardens in Worksop have transformed 2 acres of derelict field into a thriving community garden in just 12 years.
When work began, there were no trees or flowers – it was just a completely empty space.
Now, it’s a beautifully planted garden with several different areas made to serve members of the community in their own unique way.
In March, we visited the community gardens to discover more about the gardens.
The Garden’s Origins
The gardens were once an abandoned site, presenting a huge challenge for the team when they first inherited the space.
I spoke with Steve Williams, the Project Manager at Oasis Community Centre to find out how they began to transform this barren space into the incredible gardens you see today.
“We first started working with the local community to see what they would enjoy having on their doorstep,” Steve explains.
“From there, we’ve raised the money to buy and build everything from a dome greenhouse to play equipment for the children.
“The community has had all [of] the involvement in what’s planted and how it’s developed.”
How The Gardens Are Run
“Because of the community aspect, we manage the garden in a different way to most places,” shares Steve.
“We don’t have any formal gardeners and instead have people who do sessional work here, but they work with people in a sort of therapeutic and educational ways.
“We do a lot of teaching of all sorts of different skills, from seed planting and bulb planting, to different techniques [including] how to take cuttings and how to grow vegetables and fruit.
“Some people come for a few weeks, some people come for a few years and they become part of the family here. It’s run more as a family than a business.”
Exploring The Gardens At Oasis
“We started to build different areas around the site to give different experiences for the community to use,” Steve explains.
“One of my favourite areas is the memory garden, also known as the butterfly corner.
“It’s all about memories and a place for people to remember those who they’ve lost.”
After chatting with Steve, Sessional Gardener Deborah showed me around some more beautiful areas of the garden.
“This particular area, that’s looking particularly great with all the daffodils up at the moment, is called the mound,” Deborah says.
“There are some beautiful bulbs in here in the summer, it’s absolutely glorious.
“Because we’ve got lots planted in here, we have to be really mindful, which is why we’ve got stepping stones around it so people can do some digging and weeding without treading on the plants.”
“The wildlife garden, like all of the space at Oasis, is a work in progress,” says Deborah, as we step into another corner of the garden.
“We’re not professional gardeners, but we just enjoy the outdoors and people come to us for all sorts of reasons, just to enjoy getting their hands dirty, taking part and simply having a go.
“That’s what we’re all about: just having a go.
“In this space, we usually just pull the grass back so that people can see the path that meanders.
“This allows the wildlife areas to remain untouched and ensures that the habitats are left in place.”
Gardening For The Community
“It’s been lovely to see a green space come alive by bringing a space back into use that was derelict and empty,” says Steve.
“I’d encourage anyone to do that kind of thing because it’s so rewarding to see that happen.
“When the sun shines, you could be anywhere in the world. It’s a little oasis in the middle of nowhere.”
If you’d like to find out more about Oasis Community Gardens and the work that they do, head over to their website.
