Resources and materials

General resources

With many people stuck at home we are looking to compile useful advice on growing your own food.  If you come across any that you don't see on here, let us know by emailing capitalgrowth@sustainweb.org 

• You will also find many resources on the Capital Growth website, and on the dashboard if you are a member of the network. 
• Do check out Garden Organic's info for Growing advice, School resources and Grow your Own cards 
• Walworth Garden in London shared this fantastic PDF of Food Growing for Beginners by Karen Hepworth.
• Vertical Veg has excellent resources for growing in small spaces and containers.
• The Orchard Project have a variety of Guides & Advice for home gardeners, including planting fruit trees in containers if you are short on space/soil. 
• Compost Direct have shared this fantastic document on growing your own medieval herb garden. 

Online training

• Hackney Herbal has a lot of free resources on social media/HH blog for herbs growing and nature connection and doing some online ticketed workshops for growing herbs. 
• Brockwell Community Greenhouses are running some remote sessions including Gardeners Question Time, Fermentation classes and a Singing Group.  There are also green activities for children on their Youtube channel here.
• Core Landscapes community roof garden in Hackney are offering a range of short films from their award-winning movable community garden.  With gardening tips and tours round garden spaces, to boost mental health and wellbeing and support you to get the most from your growing space however small it may be. A fantastic resource!

Resources for children

• Capital Growth log on to the dashboard for school resources, or you can find some activities and ideas on our website
• Garden Organic has practical advice and activities for all ages on how to start and maintain an organic food growing garden on their school resources page
• Trees for Cities  has a selection of curriculum guides, lesson plans and a range of other resources to support you to teach through food growing.
• The RHS has activities, projects, lesson plans & other resources suited to your educational needs.
• The Orchard Project have some homeschooling resources available: Primary School Lesson Plans and Activities. 

Garden equipment, materials and services

This is updated as frequently as we can.  If you know of anywhere else that has seeds or soil available please let us know by contacting capitalgrowth@sustainweb.org 

Seeds 

• Tamar Organics – shop open every weekday (excluding bank holidays) between 9-10am.  
• Vital Seeds – open from 9am everyday until their quota for the day is reached. 
• Seed Cooperative – open sporadically but updating people on Twitter and on the website often. 
• Real Seeds – only taking as many orders per week as they can but still open and delivering.
• Organic Gardening Catalogue - open but seeds being dispatched in 7-10 days, and other gardening equipment between 14-21 days.
• Rocket Gardens (plug plants) - orders placed in April likely to be delivering in mid/late May 

Seed saving resources

If you can’t access any but would like to start to save your own seed look here...

• Vital seeds - excellent seed saving resources
• Real seeds - seed saving information 
• Garden Organic - seed saving guidelines and Heritage Seed Library for members 
• London Freedom Seed Bank 

Compost/Soil 

• Dalefoot Composts - Organic, peat-free sheep’s wool compost, still delivering with reduced available products.
• Fertile Fibre - Peat-free, organic, coir compost, still delivering large and small quantities.
• The Compost Shop - Organic, peat-free compost for delivery in large amounts. 
• Earth Cycle - Organic composts and soil conditioners in bulk. 
• Organic Gardening Catalogue have some bags available but with a 14 day delivery period.
• Compost Direct- Is delivering large quantities in bulk, perhaps to be shared among gardens if necessary. 
• Safe Soil UK - Whether you want to test your soil for quality, contamination or both, Safe Soil UK has your testing needs in hand with their posted testing kits.

Capital Growth/Sustain take no responsibility for the content of any external websites or articles and only want to signpost growers to the places where you might find the resources you need. 

We do recommend that you try to buy from your local or independent garden centres/businesses where possible, and to buy seed with minimal intervention, and peat-free soil and compost. 

Other 

• Organic plant boxes are available from Organiclea for specific postcodes in East London
• Blackmoor - for fantastic fruit trees and bushes 
• Organic Gardening Catalogue - gardening equipment
• Rocket Gardens - plug plants
• Online plant retailers list from Gardener's World (Gardener's World, 2 April)