Just Ask Erin…
Introducing Erin Martin, The Grounds’ resident horticulturalist (otherwise known as ‘The Groundskeeper’!). Erin is the man at the helm of this wondrous industrial oasis we call The Grounds organic garden. Basically, he’s a magician – but instead of hats and rabbits, he prefers herbs and manure!
When we arrived in 2012, The Grounds was quite literally a deserted mass of concrete. Today our lush urban sanctuary is not only inspirational, but testament to Erin’s hard work and green approach. All year round, our garden is overflowing with delicious seasonal delights including heirloom vegetables, edible flowers, fragrant herbs, fresh fruit and more – all incorporated into our menus.
Erin grows our wide selection of produce in recycled sleeper planter boxes and garden beds, based on a natural and sustainable permaculture approach. This means that the gardens at The Grounds use organic methods to maintain the soil fertility (including green manure crops, companion planting and rotation).
To say that this stuff is ‘second nature’ to our garden guru is to put it mildly, that’s why we’ll soon be inviting you to send us your gardening questions using the hashtag #JustAskErin via Instagram over the next 6 weeks – which Erin will answer each week! Stay tuned via our Instagram feed @thegroundsofalexandria, for this shortly.