Barbican Beds

Location: Paragon Street, York, YO10 4AG

This was our first city centre bed! City of York Council, who loved the Edible York vision, offered us the bed to plant up in 2009. In 2013, CYC were making improvements to the whole of Fishergate Bar, and built us four new beautiful beds, including a stone plaque! Partnership in action.

This bed is overseen by a local group of volunteers, FOBBEY (Friends of Barbican Bed Edible York), who meet every Saturday (from May-September), in 2022 sually from 11am to 12 noon on Saturdays. Do come and join us!

We have tools and gloves to use at these gardening sesions. We also meet from time to time at the Seahorse Pub to think about ways to improve the bed, and to decide what to grow.

This year we’ve grown lots of edible flowers, rainbow chard and herbs. Californian poppy and marigold are particular favourites, we also have bronze fennel, courgettes, kale, and cavalo nero. The currant bushes donated by R.V.Rogers have been plentiful!

Peasholme Green

Location: Peasholme Green, York, YO1 7PJ

This is our bed in Peaseholme Green opposite the Black Swan pub. We’ve been growing edible flowers, herbs, fruit and vegetables there since 2011 and the soil is getting better and better as the seasons go by! Everyone is invited to taste a leaf or pick something to take away when it is ripe and ready to go. The bed is well harvested and we are delighted that people just take a little, leaving food for others to enjoy later.

Volunteers meet at the bed Wednesdays, times from April 2022 announced soon. Everyone is welcome regardless of gardening knowledge, and support, gloves, and tools will be on hand – enthusiasm is the key ingredient!

This larger triangular bed converted to growing vegetables by Edible York in March 2011, having previously been a shrubbery it was taken on following the success of the first Barbican Beds in 2010.  In 2011 other beds were created.

You can read about the early days at Peasholme Green in this article in the York Press

This Edible bed can be found outside the building that used to be the Quilt Museum, and opposite the Black Swan. Gardening sessions are on Wednesdays, 12noon to 1pm.

Anything growing is there for picking – wait until ripe and take small amounts from several plants.

Whip-Ma-Whop-Ma-Gate

This addition to the Edible York empire was planted in 2012, and focused on fruit and herbs. It was a beautiful garden in this corner of the city.

With the redevelopment of Stonebow House the land is no longer licensed to Edible York. At some point we will relocate, and have an eye on another city-centre spot.

Thanks to all the gardeners and the people who supported this garden.  An especial thank you to the customers of Heron Foods, users of the adjacent bus stops and the people who sit on the seats.