Now that the garden has matured and we have well-established plants, annual tasks include pruning, splitting and dividing large clumps, sowing batches of annuals and seeking new additions to the plant-list, as well as the unavoidable weeding and sweeping.

Each year since 2022, we have collected seeds from the GMG, dried and packeted them and produced a seed list, an unofficial Index Seminum, so that we have a range of free seeds to distribute at no cost to members and anyone who wants them (donations are always welcome).

We produce a decent crop of coloured basket willows each year, enough for garden edgings, protective cloches or small-scale weaving projects. In limited space our two compost heaps and one leaf bin manage to generate a useful amount of compost and leaf mould which are used at planting, for potting plants for sale, and to top-dress the beds.

In addition to our main plant sales, pop-up plant sales are held at the entrance to the GMG. Watch social media, Facebook and X, for details.

We welcome visitors during opening hours (the GMG gates are open from 10 am until 4 pm daily.) Some gardening members of FoBBG are frequently to be found there on Sunday mornings.

Tours may be booked, either as part of a general tour with gardening staff or by special arrangement with garden staff.

It’s been a busy and rewarding two seasons, as evidenced by the photo gallery below. The wider membership can view regular posts on our WhatsApp pages.

Great news! We have had our new signage (shown above) installed at the entrance gate to the GMG since early May 2024. We are really pleased at the result of our collaboration with the design department of BCC, and are very appreciative of the help given to us.

The Global Medicine Garden is managed for wildlife.

Biodiversity is important to us, so we do not use pesticides or herbicides; we make our own compost and leaf mould; larger supplies of compost are peat-free; seed-heads such as teasel are left on for as long as possible; and cutting back delayed until spring.

Here are some of the creatures that make regular appearances, delighting us and our visitors.