Gilmerton House Kitchen and Garden Project

Gilmerton House Kitchen Garden is a dynamic new walled garden restoration project involving volunteers from our local community and a community linked by the desire to improve health and maintain good mental and physical fitness. There is an increasing pool of research into the benefits of gardening on our mental well being – from reduction in depression, anxiety and stress to increased social contact, inclusion and a sense of belonging.

The garden has been designed to reflect many of the good principles of the traditional walled garden and will be growing a wide range of fruit for jams, jellies and cordials to provide a small income for the maintenance of the project.  We will also be providing Gilmerton House with cut flowers for events and flower arranging talks as the garden develops and plan to have further garden produce and craft from our new willow beds as they grow.

We will be restoring existing historic bothy buildings and this facility will enable us to involve more volunteers from further afield and give individuals access to many of the activities historically associated with working in a walled garden.  We will look to provide employment for a small number of individuals in the project, both full and part time – in training and volunteer support, propagation, food preparation and marketing.

We envisage the garden becoming a source of fresh, locally grown produce, a therapeutic experience for those involved and a thriving social enterprise running in tandem with Gilmerton House.  The house, as an events venue, will be one of the supporters of the project, with contacts in the corporate world bringing in groups for team building days in the garden contributing financially to the upkeep and running of the project.