Bexley Mencap’s Learning Disability Gardening Group won a Silver Gilt Award at the 2025 Ruxley in Bloom awards on 17 September. The group was set up in 2021 and tends an allotment plot at Alers Road that was previously overgrown and full of weeds.
‘It’s been a bumper crop this summer,’ said Nick who leads the group. ‘So much sun has meant that we’ve all being doing extra watering, and everyone has contributed to the success of the plot.’
This year the group has grown broad beans, french and dwarf beans, radishes, carrots, lettuces, peppers, strawberries and raspberries, courgettes and marrows as well as rainbow chard, onions, garlic and shallots.’
And it’s not over yet, explains Nick, as the group are still harvesting several varieties of potatoes, lots of tomatoes and tender runner beans. This year the group tried their hands at growing purple dwarf beans as well as sweet potatoes. ‘And we’re all ready for the autumn,’ adds Nick, ‘as we have started preparing the soil to plant next year’s onions and broad beans as well as making our own compost.’
And it’s not just vegetables because the group planted marigolds and red geraniums this spring to brighten up the plot as well.
It’s always important to work as a team and working together was especially important in building two new planters from scratch out of discarded wooden pallets. First the waste ground behind the shed needed to be levelled and bricks put in to stablish the foundation. Then all the rows of wooden pallets were aligned and nailed together.
As they were all different shapes and sizes, members helped each other to hold everything in shape and upright. Next, we needed to wrap and nail the sheeting to cover right round both planters. And finally, it took several wheelbarrow trips to upload the soil and manure into the planters.
But it was all worthwhile as we grew strawberries and flowers inside and we now have more space to grow crops in space that was not in use before.
And word of how helping out on the allotment can be both fun and rewarding has lead to visits by the Monday and Wednesday Hub life skills groups and the Walking Group are also planning to pop by soon. One person, Matt, even chose to be filmed working in the allotment as part of a video featuring the different ways in which members choose to relax.
‘It’s so good to see members taking home the produce they have grown and telling us what it tasted like cooked,’ said Perri, who also helps with the group.
Let’s leave the last word to newcomer, Stephen, who’s just joined the group.
‘It’s great to turn over the soil, be out in the fresh air and plant and pick vegetables,’ he says. ‘I can’t wait for Thursday mornings!’