Features / St Pauls
The secret St Paul’s garden that’s uniting a community
Metal gates that once hid an overgrown jungle strewn with hazardous rubbish now lead to a flourishing community garden in the heart of St Paul’s.
On a recent Thursday morning, two small girls bound happily across the grassy space, handing out edible flowers and rooting through the foliage to show off the giant courgettes growing beneath.
“The lettuce is my favourite,” states seven-year-old Ashti, adding that she and her sister, four-year-old Arianne, love coming to the garden to play and have water fights.
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It is their mum, Tara Miran, who has made her vision of creating a vibrant garden for the entire community to enjoy a reality.
Tara Miran has been nominated for an MTM Award for her voluntary work in the community
“I came across the space a few years ago but I never acted on it at first,” says Tara, sitting in one of the plastic chairs in the communal sitting and BBQ area at the end of the garden, next to a recently uncovered mural.
As a governor of St Paul’s Nursery – just a stone’s throw away from the garden – she finally spoke out about her dream of creating a safe space for the children to enjoy, grow things and learn about nature and quickly set to work.
“I said I wanted the space cleared because it was dangerous and just used as a bin,” explains Tara.
“The council cleared it up and I called a community meeting. I thought it would be best to ask what people thought should be done with the space.
“After that, we decided it would be a community gardening space for everyone to enjoy. Everyone plants what they want, and we get to enjoy it together so there’s no ownership.
“The garden has really brought so many people from very different backgrounds together. I see some of the older people taking my kids round and telling them about the garden. We sometimes do a barbecue in the garden and go round inviting everyone.”
Arianne, four, and Ashti, seven, sample the flowers they’ve helped grow
Arianne and Ashti didn’t have a garden of their own before the community space was created
Tara says the knock-on effects of the garden have been the most surprising and pleasing, including the intergenerational enjoyment and chance to involve people who face isolation.
Spotting a friend walking in the road opposite the garden, Tara calls over the fence to invite her to come in anytime with her children.
There are a few members of the community who keep keys to the gate and the garden is open to anyone, with the produce shared among all.
For Tara, the garden is a source of peace and enjoyment, where her children can grow and learn and spend summer evenings outside. “It reminds me of my childhood in Kurdistan,” she says with a smile.
But it has come to mean so much to the many members of the community.
Many members of the community are involved in growing produce and sharing the garden
What was once a derelict jungle is now a thriving community garden
Algis Ausra was one of the people who helped Tara found the garden project last year.
Speaking about the benefits of the garden, he said: “This, I believe, is the best way to fight fear and ignorance-led issues like hate crime and discrimination. I believe this is also a great way to fight other big problems we experience in our society such as loneliness, inter-generational divides and food security and sustainability.
“Due to my own experiences, I believe that gardening in itself is one of the best ways to teach patience (something most of us struggle with in our ‘on demand’ modern world). You can’t just click vegetables into existence!”
Kate Jordan, a nearby resident who visits the garden regularly, agrees, saying: “It means so much as a community resource.”
“It just makes me think what else can we do,” admits Tara.
The mum-of-three, who works for Bristol Women’s Voice, has been nominated for an MTM Award, which celebrates the excellence and achievements of people in business and grass-root communities.
As well as her voluntary work in the garden, Tara blogs as The Kurdish Mother, leads ESOL (English for speakers of other languages) conservation clubs and has conducted and presented research examining the barriers to employment faced by some women for Bristol Women’s Voice.
She says just to be nominated is amazing, regardless of whether she wins the MTM Award. “I’ll definitely get dressed up and go to the ceremony,” adds Tara with a laugh, gathering up her things to leave the garden for another day.
The gates to the now-transformed space in the heart of St Paul’s
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