A community garden has reopened following a break over the festive season.

Growers Row, located at Rutland Showground, is a community gardening space hosted by Root-and-Branch-Out, a local organisation that champions food, nature and the environment.

All are welcome at Growers Row, an Oakham-based community gardening space. Image credit: Nub News.

The established gardening scheme sees local people come together to cultivate a thriving and productive space open to the whole community, and is open every Wednesday from 10am until 3pm, 46 weeks a year.

While all of the work is done on a volunteer basis, for the love of gardening and collaboration, gardeners share the produce that comes from the garden when it is ready to harvest.

The garden is also a great space to bring your children throughout the holidays to teach them about gardening, community and sustainability.

Fruit, veg and flowers harvested are shared by the team in the summer. Image credit: Nub News.

And it was a bright and chilly one at Growers Row last week as novice and experienced gardeners returned to the community plot for the first time in 2024.

The team behind Root-and-Branch Out said: "When we arrived, we found a tree in the hedge had fallen, which, throughout the morning, made a few dead hedges and furnished a few dens in the children's play area. A few very friendly and curious Robins and Wrens were bobbing around us all day, some getting very close.

"The shed and polytunnel were cleared and cleaned out, tools were all sorted, and there was new storage for garden tools. All looking was very organised now.

"Together we Wassailed the orchard trees with juice-soaked bread, words of blessing and some first-class clanging of pots! May we have a bountiful harvest this year."

A range of native fruit and veg is grown at the gardens, with the help of polytunnels. Image credit: Nub News.

Growers Row Shared Garden is open to the public on Wednesdays at The Rutland Showground between 10am and 3pm.

You can keep informed by joining the Friends of Root-and-Branch Out Newsletter or by following the charity on Facebook.

Or, find Growers Row at:

Rutland Showground

Oakham

LE15 7TW