The African garden is a partnership between Growing Local and the International development agency United Purpose. 

The African Garden is part of the Growing Local garden at Court Farm, Tillington.  Within the garden are African bag gardens, table-top gardens and a key-hole garden.  An arborloo and tippy-tap illustrate sanitation techniques and rain water harvesting enables water to be sustainably collected. It has an ‘African shelter’, providing a location to cook African nsima (maize porridge) and to shelter from the sun or rain.  It is accessible to wheelchair users.

Two hour workshops offer children opportunities to learn about gardening techniques used in Africa to combat issues of climate change and food sovereignty.  The techniques conserve land, soil and water whilst guarding against flooding.  Practical activities include collecting firewood, pounding maize, cooking nsima, collecting water, making a tippy-tap, planting, tending and sowing the gardens and teaching children about the lives of Sub-Saharan African children.

The garden was built with funding from United Purpose (formally Concern Universal), the EU and Defra through the VITAL Herefordshire LEADER programme. 2019 workshops are funded by Ernest Cook, the Pippin Trust and Bulmers Benevolent Fund. 

Instruction is conducted by fully trained teachers and trainers from Growing Local and United Purpose. Workshops are for a maximum of 18 children. We can sometimes accommodate larger class sizes or groups by offering farm walks for half of your group if you book two workshops. 

African Garden Workshops are available for booking between April and July 2019 and September and the end of October 2019. 

Bookings and enquiries to Louisa Foti, louisa@growinglocal.org.uk, or 07902 802982.