TERRACE GARDEN

Every Friday morning, a group of people comes together at the museum around a simple excuse: tending a garden. But, as with the best excuses, it is about much more than the plants.

The garden is a place to learn, share experiences and pay attention to what needs care in order to grow. Sometimes the conversation turns to seeds, cuttings or how to rescue a plant that seems to be having a hard time. Other times, people swap tips, kefir recipes, questions and ideas, or simply share the desire to do things in the company of others. Participants look after the garden on the museum terrace, observing the changing seasons and rising to the challenges each one brings. When the irrigation system fails, pests arrive or the soil dries out too quickly, there is always someone with experience to share or a helping hand to offer. There are also worms to feed, seedlings to start, soil to improve and visitors to welcome when they come to find out more about the project. If the garden teaches us anything, it is that many of the things that matter take time, attention and care.

The museum garden is a place where very different people, experiences, forms of knowledge and ways of doing things can coexist. It is a space that leaves room for the unexpected, where not everything goes according to plan. Sometimes shoots appear where no one expected them; at others, it is ideas, lessons learnt or chance encounters that end up taking root.

You can join the sessions at any point during the academic year. On Friday mornings, you might find the group gathered in the library, working in the raised beds on the terrace or perhaps visiting somewhere that inspires them to keep learning. We look forward to seeing you.