We meet at Growing Hollingdean shed on the corner of Brentwood Road and Lynchet Close at 10am. We wait 10 minutes before going on to our location within the estate. One of our Growing Hollingdean volunteers will talk through the mornings plan, give out equipment, including some Health & Safety tips. It’s free fitness, a chance to make new friends, and we always have a good laugh along the way.
Tree Guardian Volunteers seen Gardening behind the flats on Stephens Road, 7th September 2025
Pear Trees 209 and 210
Tree Guardians seen on the Wildflower Verge in Hollingdean Park, 5th October 2025
Tree Guardians took part in the Get Growing Harvest Festival by clearing the wildflower verge at the bottom of Hollingdean Park. Volunteers raked away the cuttings left by the mower and planted spring bulbs. All the cuttings were used as mulch around the nearby trees, helping to return nutrients to the soil. A big thank you to all the volunteers for their hard work!
For all the latest news on Growing Hollingdean free events and volunteering please sign up here or in the box below. Thank you to all the Growing Hollingdean volunteerswho made this possible.
New regular gardening mornings in Hollingdean, 3rd Sunday of the month
Join in with gardening the beautiful green space in Hollingdean Community Orchard and Forest Garden, at the back of Hollingdean Park. Learn more about the food growing in the garden and park for everyone to forage. If we look after our green spaces then they will look after us! Everyone is welcome. We look forward to meeting you.
Every 3rd Sunday of the month, from 10am to 12pm. Come along and help us grow food! Our friendly Growing Hollingdean volunteers will meet you at The Shed (on the corner of Brentwood Road and Lynchet Close) at 10am, where you’ll be able to borrow gloves and equipment.
Everyone is welcome, no experience needed!We look forward to seeing you, rain or shine.
Everyone learnt a lot at Hollingdean Park’s Forest Garden training day, July 2025
Get Growing in Hollingdean volunteers at Hollingdean Park Community Orchard and Forest Garden
Thank you to B&H Food Partnership, EU Cultivate cultivate-project.eu and Permaculture Tutor Stephan Gehrels for a fantastic day at Hollingdean Community Orchard and Forest Garden. We learnt a lot about how to take care of the the perennial herbs, salads, alliums, fruit bushes and trees planted in the park and orchard this year. And also how to restore and maintain the mature trees and bushes that have been in the orchard for some years. There were plenty of chances to try out scything, pruning, watering and weeding- something for everyone! As well as enjoy a lovely lunch together.
Climate changes effect us all
We also observed how the hot dry weather has affected how new plants have grown. And made plans for capturing essential water and providing shelter for wildlife (and the volunteers!) in all seasons – whether hot and dry, or cold and wet. Climate changes mean that we can expect some more extreme weather conditions in coming years so it is good to understand how to support new plants and trees to grow into a thriving, resilient Food Forest Garden for Hollingdean.
The weather has been gorgeous recently but also incredibly dry. This means that all the edible plants we put it on the Community Days over the last couple of months are very, very thirsty. So how about bringing up a bottle of water if you’re passing-it could be an old milk carton or similar – and giving one or two plants a really good drink. The edible planting is along the fence towards the Hollingdean Community Orchard and in the orchard itself.
How best to water the plants
It’s best to give one or two plants plenty of water, rather than lots of plants a little bit as it encourages the plants to keep sending their roots deep which helps them thrive. Also, even if we have some rain over the next week, the ground is still very dry so we still need to water if at all possible. We are working on accessing water regularly from the Family Hub but in the meantime, every bit of water really does help.
Don’t forget to enjoy all the beautiful blossom in the orchard.
For all the latest news on Growing Hollingdean free events and volunteering please sign up here or in the box below. Thank you to all the Growing Hollingdean volunteerswho made this possible.
Mulching and tidying Hollingdean Community Orchard
It was a quiet Tree Guardians session on this first Sunday in February. A light drizzle and the lure of Seedy Sunday in town, meant the numbers were very small. So small, in fact it was a solo mission! Hilary weeded and mulched a tree in the Hollingdean Community Orchard at Hollingdean Park, did a general litter pick, and started work battling with a cherry tree stump sending up suckers.
Hilary says “Whilst having a big team is great for powering through – sometimes its actually amazing what you can get done, and what you notice when your out on your own – including the starts of spring sprouts on the trees, and more bird visitors!”
Well done Hilary, it must have been wonderful to have this green space to your self.
If you would like to know more about our events or help out as a volunteer please email through our contact page here. We look forward to meeting you!
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