Now that it’s July, the sun is finally shining down on the Growing Project. The wildflower meadow is in full bloom, the runner beans have climbed to the top of their canes and the tomatoes have formed their first, tiny fruits! All of our volunteers have watched in delight as the seeds they sowed in the early spring begin to grow and spread, filling the polytunnel and raised beds. There is such a sense of satisfaction to be had from eating something you’ve sown yourself, writes Nicky Buley, our Community Growing Project Co-ordinator. And indeed, perhaps even more satisfaction from sharing the harvest; in the past 2 months, 6 deliveries have been made to the local foodbank, with produce ranging from soft fruits to swedes.
Fruit and vegetables are not the only harvest we’ve been producing; the wonderful thing about a community garden is the opportunity for people to come together to connect, learn and share knowledge and ideas. In June, we took part in Great Big Green Week, a nationwide celebration of action on climate change. The theme this year was ‘swap together’ and people up and down the country shared inventive swaps, giving us lots of inspiration for small changes we can make in our day-to-day lives. At the Growing Project we ran a session on swapping chemical fertilisers and pesticides for natural alternatives. Participants learnt how to make ‘nettle tea’, a potent and nutrient-rich fertiliser made from rotting nettles! We also mixed up some garlic spray to ward off aphids, and discovered novel uses for banana peels and coffee grounds!
Our summer series of talks on nature, growing and ecology began last month, and we were delighted to welcome James Skillicorn to the Growing Project. Despite the abysmal weather, James gave a fascinating talk in the shelter of the polytunnel, all about fantastic earthworms and how to help them. Earthworms are a vital, yet often overlooked, part of the ecosystem. In fact, Darwin commented, “there are few animals which have played so important a part in the history of the world than the earthworm”. Participants had the chance to get their hands dirty, digging into a bucket of worms fresh from James’ wormery! If you like the sound of this, and want to find out more about the tiny creatures that make the growing area tick, then come along to see Vicki Hird, author of ‘Rebugging the Planet’ and a self-described ‘major bug lover’ this month. Karen Goldie-Morrison, long-time friend of Barnes Common, and until recently, Chair of the Council for Butterfly Conservation, will also join us in July. She will give an introduction to butterfly gardening.
The series will continue in September. At the Growing Project, we are lucky to have a large space at our disposal, but this isn’t the case for everyone, particularly in urban areas. Mark Ridsdill-Smith, author, blogger and Instagrammer, will talk about urban container gardening in small spaces, demonstrating that it is possible to grow a significant amount of food even if all you have is a balcony. We also look forward to welcoming Nat Mady, from Hackney Herbal, to talk all things herbs and healing. All of these events are free to attend, and places can book booked on Eventbrite. We look forward to seeing many of you there!