Meet the new team caring for our gardens

We have recently recruited two new staff to take care of our gardens at Ravenscraig Walled Garden and 8 East Fergus Place. Hi, my name is Esme. I am excited to join Greener Kirkcaldy as Nature and Growing Projects Coordinator. Kit Cubitt is also new to the team as a Community Garden Worker. Kit and I look after the Greener Kirkcaldy Training Garden at Ravenscraig Walled Garden and the Climate Friendly Garden at 8 East Fergus Place. We are running training and community events throughout the year. We’re keen to hear from you what types of event you might be interested in!

Before coming to Greener Kirkcaldy, I worked as a community gardener at Arkwright Meadows Community Gardens in Nottingham. We grew fruit and veg organically to sell at affordable prices to the local, inner-city community. The garden also provides a green haven for people and wildlife. I also worked for Ellie’s Wellies Organic Gardening, where I learned how to create and maintain gardens using wildlife (and climate!) friendly methods.

My first foray into gardening was through volunteering at Woodlands Community Garden in Glasgow about 13 years ago, where I learned that getting your hands in the soil is good for you! I’ve continued volunteering at different projects ever since, it’s a great way to learn new approaches to growing and meet interesting people. I love growing cut flowers alongside vegetables, and have also taken classes in floristry.

Kit has spent most of his life travelling around and working in a variety of farms, gardens, orchards, and smallholdings. These were both close to home and further afield. Experiencing a range of climates, growing techniques and challenges in these places gave Kit a rich and varied skill set. Combined with a deep love of nature this informs his approach to work as a Community Gardener with Greener Kirkcaldy. He is passionate about protecting and celebrating our planet. He loves to share that enthusiasm with others.

He says: “Community gardens are magical spaces. Learning, exploring and healing happen very naturally as we collectively tend to a plot of land. I find the veggies we produce – while beautiful and tasty- are often secondary to the enormous social benefits we gain from growing them together.”

One aspect of the garden we’re really excited to work on this year is compost making. The community kitchen at East Fergus Place is a great source of food waste, but it needs careful management to balance the veg peelings with higher carbon materials, and prevent it becoming anaerobic (or stinky slime!).

We are looking at ways to help share the skills of compost making with volunteers and staff in the kitchen. This means we can produce high quality compost and grow even more food!