The common runner bean is favoured over the chrysanthemum by Housing Association

Published by Sonia for Cross Keys Homes in Housing and also in Communities

Out with the gladioli, dahlias and chrysanthemums; in with the purple broccoli, runner beans and tomatoes.

Under the Incredible Edible scheme, Cross Keys Homes will in the future be developing more edible flowerbeds and gardens instead of their ornamental ones.

Cross Keys Homes, where possible, plan to plant edible produce that their tenants and the community alike can access, cultivate, harvest and reap the rewards of free healthy food into their and their families’ lives.

Four pilot areas throughout the city will make way for edible planting and a number of Cross Keys Homes sheltered schemes and hostels will also be making use of green spaces to plant edible produce.

Tenants will be given the option to participate on different levels such as low, medium and high maintenance produce.

Claire Higgins, Director of Operations at Cross Keys Homes, said: “The benefits to our tenants and the community at large will hopefully be fantastic.  We appreciate that it’s not always easy to find great quality reasonably priced healthy food and we hope that this fun initiative will enable access to this for everyone. We are really hopeful that as well as the more everyday, run of the mill vegetables, incredible edible will generate a renewed interest in the more unusual and exotic varieties of fruit and vegetables that will tempt people to try them out.

“In Peterborough  we know that in some areas of the city a man has a 10 year lower life expectancy from others.  As a responsible organisation Cross Keys Homes wants to make statistics like this history  and we hope by using our open spaces we can help everyone access fresh, healthy produce that is available to everyone with no exception.”