Fulford Community Orchard is what remains of the old orchard that originally belonged to Naburn Hospital. Many of the trees were planted some ninety-plus years ago. When the hospital was demolished in the 1980s to make way for York Designer Outlet the orchard was neglected and uncared for. Later saved from development, over fifty trees have survived (a mixture of plums, damson, pear and apple). They have become the basis of a community orchard for Fulford.

There are volunteering sessions here in the afternoon of the second Sunday of every month to manage the meadow area.

Cared for by:
Friends of York Community Orchard

Things to help out with here:
Fruit picking and site management

Holgate Community Garden came into being in Spring 2014: a community effort to transform a neglected park into a vibrant, life-enhancing space for anyone to come enjoy and for the community to have the opportunity to grow edibles and participate in gardening.

If you were to visit the garden today you could expect to see a jubilant, pollinator-friendly garden, all organically managed, with year-round interest and a wide variety of edibles grown in 6 new raised beds; flowering climbers rambling up new pergolas with lots of bird feeders frequented by long-tailed tits, blue tits, and robins; lots of nasturtiums, giant artichokes, and sun flowers; a herb and currant bed in its seventh year of establishment; a south-west facing wall with six-year-old espaliered apples and a variety of raspberry canes; 8 young fruit trees dotted through the garden (a plum, a gage, and several heritage apple varieties); the “Babby Oak” tree planted by local school children in the heart of a very small wildflower meadow entering its third year of establishment; and lots of children playing on new play equipment or picking and eating fresh herbs and veg, often making creations to proffer at their improvised cafe “The Ginger Cat” (named after local cat Ziggy, a regular at the garden)—collection and deliveries available from the window of the stationary wooden train.

Cared for by:
Holgate Community Garden (voluntary group of local residents)

Things to help out with here:
Weeding, watering, planting, raking, litter picking, pruning, scything…

Drop in Sessions:
Last Sunday of every month 3-4pm

Edible flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables have been growing here since 2011 and the soil is getting better and better as the seasons go by! Everyone is invited to taste a leaf or pick something to take away when it is ripe and ready to go. The bed is well harvested and we are delighted that people just take a little, leaving food for others to enjoy later.

This larger triangular bed opposite the Black Swan pub was converted to growing vegetables by Edible York in March 2011, having previously been a shrubbery. It was taken on following the success of the first Barbican Beds in 2010.  In 2011 other beds were created. You can read about the early days at Peasholme Green in this article in the York Press

Anything growing is there for picking – wait until ripe and take small amounts from several plants.

Volunteers meet at the bed Wednesdays 5.30 – 6.15pm. Everyone is welcome regardless of gardening knowledge. Support, gloves, and tools will be on hand – enthusiasm is the key ingredient!