Inspired by many worldwide kitchen garden and biodiversity projects like Alice Water’s Edible Schoolyard Project across America, The Diana Kennedy Centre in Michoacán (Mexico), Stephanie Alexander’s Kitchen Garden Foundation in Australia, Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Farm in England, Isabella Tree’s Knepp Wildland Project in West Sussex (England), Darina Allen and Rory O’Connell’s Ballymaloe Cookery School in Cork (Ireland), and the Coclough Walled Garden at Tintern Abbey in Wexford (Ireland).

After many years of research, Anthony embarked on this ambitious project in 2016 by turning a piece of unused land behind his parents’ home in Wexford (Ireland) on a northwest-facing hill to create his edible garden that promotes biodiversity. Along with its residence of purebred, heritage, and bantam chickens, guinea fowl and call ducks, and abundant other wildlife, the edible garden showcases varietal fruit, flowers, herbs, and vegetables.

The motivation behind the project is to showcase biodiversity and ultimately understand how different varieties react to different growing conditions and how it affects their sensory abilities – sight, sound, smell, taste, and texture.

Managed to Organic Standards

Anthony’s garden is not certified to any organic organisation, but it is managed to strict organic standards using only organic seed, compost and feed. The flock of poultry roam free in the garden and are protected from wildlife from the neighbouring forest.

The garden is still in development with a wildflower meadow, pond and orchard to complete. nearly seven years later and the garden is turning into an oasis where you can find over 500 plant varietals. The garden is cultivated from using a variety of organic seeds produced in Ireland and further afield from organisations like Brown Envelope Seeds, Irish Seed Savers, The Organic Centre, and Green Vegetable Seed. Trees, shrubs, and other vegetation come from reputable nurseries and specialist garden suppliers like English Fruit Nursery, Deelish Garden Centre, Future Forest, and Fruit Hill Farm.

Seed Saving

In 2018, Anthony joined the Gaia Foundation’s Seed Sovereignty UK and Ireland Programme that was set up to support the development of a biodiverse and ecologically sustainable seed system in the UK and Ireland.

Shop

Anthony sells a limited number of items that he harvests from the garden or cooks in his kitchen. He also collaborates with other food and drink businesses to grow specific plants and to create limited edition items. Usually he operates a bartering system with friends in the industry but is now investigating in an online shop.

Items include:

• Seeds and young plants for others to start growing their own edible garden

• Fresh fruit, herbs, flowers and vegetables throughout the year

• Hen, duck and guinea eggs

• Produce from his kitchen like - jams, pickles, chutneys, sauces, vinegars, syrups, dried fruit and flowers, ice creams, liqueurs and sweets