If you go down to The Green Estate on a Friday morning, you’re in for a wholesome surprise. Tucked away just off Manor Lane, the Community Forest Garden and Allotment group has been quietly cultivating something special, and we’re not just talking about the gooseberries.
Every week from 10 am to 12 pm, a friendly band of volunteers gathers to dig, plant, prune, and potter in the beautiful outdoor spaces cared for by The Green Estate. Whether you’re a green-fingered guru or someone who can’t tell a trowel from a turnip, all are welcome to come along, muck in, and share in the joy of growing good food.
The action happens in two main garden spaces, the Community Allotment and the Forest Garden. If you’re picturing neat rows of carrots and endless weeding, think again. A forest garden takes its cues from the natural world, following permaculture principles and mimicking a woodland ecosystem with different layers of planting. It’s a little wilder, a little more perennial, and a lot more magical.
Jayne, The Green Estate’s ever-enthusiastic Growing Communities Ranger, explains it best:
‘It has been great fun getting to work on a new space with the volunteers. Following the forest garden method, we designed the layout and uses of the space together, and the volunteers have been at the heart of planting it up. We have planted a variety of fruit trees, plus edible hedging. Species include gage, apple, raspberries, jostaberries, gooseberries, rhubarb and currants. The focus has been on creating a backbone of planting that people will understand and recognise, rather than anything too weird and wonderful.’
While the backbone is classic, the herbaceous layer planted this spring is bringing a bit of flair and flavour to the garden, adding colour, supporting biodiversity, and tempting the pollinators to visit. Thanks to a few beehives on site, those pollinators are already hard at work. The team hopes to do even more with the hives in the future, using them as a living lesson in plant reproduction and the importance of bees in our food systems.
The forest garden approach is also a long game. After a couple of years of careful establishing, the plan is for the space to become largely self-sustaining. It is low-maintenance, high-reward and rich in edible delights. Think apples hanging from trees, herbs wafting their scent in the breeze, berries just waiting to be picked. It’s not just gardening, it’s edible ecosystem-building.
Alongside all the planting and harvesting, the group has cultivated something equally important: connection. These weekly sessions offer a safe and supportive social space where people can be themselves, meet others and spend time immersed in nature. It’s good for the heart, soul and compost heap.
Looking ahead, The Green Estate’s five-year goal is to expand this deliciously down-to-earth approach. They hope to build an even bigger, more diverse network of volunteers, deepen their work in community food growing and explore new educational opportunities, from the soil beneath our feet to the bees in the trees.
This flourishing project aligns perfectly with ShefFood’s five core themes: health, environment, food economy, community food provision and food citizenship. The gardens contribute to better mental and physical health, support local biodiversity and sustainable land management, and provide shared and celebrated food. Every late summer, the group marks the harvest with a community celebration, a joyful reminder of what can happen when we grow together.
Of course, none of this happens in isolation. The Green Estate has a long and inspiring history of turning forgotten or neglected spaces into vibrant, green community assets. Since its beginnings in 2003 as a heritage and regeneration project in the Manor area, it has transformed areas once blighted by dereliction into Green Flag Award-winning parks, colourful meadows and nature-based drainage systems. It’s a place where environmental innovation meets community resilience, and where hope has deep roots.
As a proud partner of ShefFood, The Green Estate continues to show what’s possible when we bring together people, place and purpose. So, if you’re curious about forest gardening, craving some fresh air, or just fancy some Friday feel-good vibes, why not come along and see what’s growing? No prior experience is needed, just a willingness to lend a hand, have a go and enjoy the rewards; whether that’s a punnet of freshly picked currants or the warm light that only a morning in the garden can bring.
If you don’t have the time on Fridays, you can also visit the site this summer for a stroll. They open the top part of their site (which includes the ancient Sheffield Manor Lodge and flower meadows) every Sunday, May-September, and school holidays, Monday-Thursday (free entry and kids’ arts and crafts on offer). To find out more about what’s going on and other events coming up, more info here: https://greenestate.org.uk/manor-lodge/sheffield-manor-lodge-events-and-activities/
The Community Forest Garden and Allotment group meets every Friday from 10 am to 12 pm at The Green Estate, 389 Manor Lane, Sheffield, S2 1UL. For more info or to join in, get in touch with Joe at [email protected].
Green thumbs optional. A love of community, compost and crumble is very much encouraged
