We are delighted to be hosting the Ross of Mull and Iona Organic Growers (ROMIOG) plant exchange at our Community Garden on Wednesday 26th May. The Garden is in the grounds of the Ross of Mull Historical Centre and, thanks to the hard work of our sessional gardeners and a host of volunteers, has been transformed in recent months. The plant exchange is a great opportunity to see how the garden is coming along as well as a chance to swap your excess curly kale seedlings for someone else's spare tomato plants! If you don't have anything to swap, you can still pick something up for your garden. ROMIOG are kindly donating any proceeds from the event to our polytunnel fundraiser.
Drop off plants between 11am and 12pm; browsing and collecting plants in a socially distanced way between 12pm and 3pm. Community Transport can be booked - contact Terry on 01681 700600.
Please check your plant pots for New Zealand flatworms which have been found in some gardens on the Ross of Mull and Iona, and cause damage to gardens by eating earthworms.
This event is a great example of how community land ownership can have a ripple effect and benefit everyone in the community. Community ownership of Tiroran Community Forest has enabled SWMID to generate an income through selling timber. Part of this income funds a full time community forester, Philip Yielder, who was responsible for setting up the garden, with the aim of creating a tree nursery for the forest, as well as increasing local food resilience and developing a local hub. Income from the forest also helps to fund SWMID core staff who support the garden through processing payments, fundraising, publicising events, attracting volunteers and much more!
To complete the community ownership picture, did you know that the Ross of Mull Historical Centre was purchased by the community in 2001 - the earliest community buyout in the area.
