Community growth
I seem to spend most of my time wondering where my next batch of compost is coming from, whether it will get to the right house (I'm not entirely sure there's not someone in my neighbourhood that got a surprise bag or so) and whether there'll be enough.
You see for the last couple of weekends I've been busy in other peoples' gardens working on a garden exchange scheme called Grofun (it stands for Growing Real Organic Food in Urban Neighbourhoods).
Grofun was set up by the lovely Nadia Hillman in Bristol several years ago. It works a little like a Local Exchange & Time-Trading Scheme - otherwise known as LETTS. You donate 10 hours in the community chest and in return you get a bunch of volunteers to come round and help you get your garden ready for growing veg. Or put another way 'many hands make light work'.
Each weekend through April and May the team moves around from one garden to the next. So far we've tackled a very overgrown back garden and created a square, raised bed, made-over a sunny front garden to house a small, rectangular bed for potatoes and salads, and this weekend are about to create some containers for a patio. And then on and on until the end of May when we'll have hopefully transformed 11 or so gardens. There's one other element to the scheme which is that everyone has to share some of their produce with the rest of the gang (in our case we're going to throw at least one big barbeque and have a right proper shindig). But this also means that the people who got their garden done first have grown produce that those at the end of May can't grow, such as potatoes, which is neat.
The thing that's got everyone so excited is that gardening in a gang is a lot of fun. I have scant knowledge of what the gardens look like before we get there. You just have to get on with it and there's always a funny collective moment when everyone's debating a design or where the compost bin should go and so far some stellar pot-luck lunches.
There are also masterclasses that run throughout the summer. I've got to get my act together as I want to do one on sowing next week. I say masterclasses but it's more like 'bring nibbles, bring drinks and some seeds that you're not sure how to sow'- it's more of a get-together than a class. My garden's a little cramped for 15 or so people so I've found some willing volunteers to donate their gardens for the classes. In return they get some veggie goodies and a lot of people learning how to sow or dig on their patch. I get a great thrill walking around my bit of the world thinking, 'I know behind that house someone's growing something good to eat.'
Anyhow, like I said, I need to rally the troops, organise another compost drop, weed the guerrilla patch before it becomes an embarrassment and sow some rocket.
If you want to find out more about Grofun go to www.grofun.org.uk
Or check out Nadia's lovely film on YouTube.
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~25~RS~)
Comments
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How brilliant! I've struggled for two years to get my garden off the ground because my disability means I can't do any heavy work at all. But the process of watching GW and learning all about plants when I was too ill to do much else has meant I've become quite good at design, and people say the design in my own garden is quite something, which makes me proud. So if we had a local Grofun in Birmingham I'd definitely be able to give back in terms of the drawing board if not in muscle. Is it only in Bristol? I love the spirit of cooperation and togetherness you describe.
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Why doesn't Alys's lovely little Jack Russell Terrier come on the show any more?
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let's start a campaign to bring back the terrier. all in favour shout aye.
but seriously,love the new format for gardeners world and hope that you 'revisit' the veg patch throughout to year to show how the plants are progressing, what problems are being encountered etc
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will the grofun be nation wide as I am disabled but am pretty good with the computer and have been on lots of committees so could help there. It would be great as I have a barren back garden and would love to have some help with getting it started.
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sp I think that this is early days judging from the grofun.org.uk website. Which doesn't mean to say that things can't happen. And yes I think there is scope for disabled gardeners to get involved. A kind of skills swap. I'm definitely keen, though you have to remember that people without disabilities could view this as a means to getting free labour. Of course it's much more than that. People with disabilities are often shut out of communities and this is one way of ensuring that we become involved again. As long as there's an exchange of labour going on I can't see why it shouldn't be possible. And the film did say they welcome people with office-based skills, which was maybe a hint at disabled viewers.
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This sounds amazing, especially when waiting lists for allotments are at unprecedented levels for us London gardeners! I'd love to find out more about this project. I'm also pioneering a new project to see exactly how much can be done on a London high-rise balcony - follow my progress and learn more about inner-city gardening at: http://londonvegetablegarden.blogspot.com
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The raised beds we saw being created on the programme on Friday seem to me to be the perfect answer for those who are wheelchair bound, but how tall and thin they will have to be so that people can reach the plants. We need a Grofun group to make beds for people with disabilities - any volunteers?
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I have just read the format for the programme on friday and was surprised to see that Alys is to make a light box.This time last year i was enthusing about the box i had made in jan of 2008 and how good the results were .well done Alys for bringing in some new technology to the garden world.Perhaps this will be the first of the new blood ideas.We might even see some irrigation or hydroponic projects in the future.
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Alys I followed your advice about composting pernicious weeds by covering them with water - it now stinks! When and how can I use it? Should it be added to the compost heap, can the water be used for watering? Help!!
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Bring back the dog. He's GW's version of Rick Stein's Chalky :-)
Mind you, he's maybe a carnaptious (sp? LOL!) little so and so, just like Chalky!
AX
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