Topic: London Urban allotments

[jamesthehat]

After waiting on the Hackney council allotment list for yonks ( which is a whole tale of its own ) I couldn't beleave my luck when a piece of waste ground right under my nose was turned into an urban allotment.The people responsable are known as the "what-if" team.They take wasted spaces and liason with the council to provide a great space for evey one to grow your own.They take big bags very much like the 1 tonne gravel bags but a bit lower, line them up and fill them with earth.Simple as that.They sort out a water supply to and we have rain butts and compost bins.There are about 50 of these bags in our urban allotment all briming with stuff and any other available space has been taken up with pots and benches.Quite simply its great and whats even better is the what- if team want to put them in as many places as possable.So if you are desperate or you know some one who is or can see a suitable space for a site contact the what if team.I can't thank them enough.Now who ever has some ideas for growing veg in little space please tell them to me.

 www.what-if.info

[Chloe]

What a brilliant idea.  Congrats jamesthehat on bagging a bag.

Will be interesting to see what ideas others come up with for growing crops in the bags.

I wish you every success and do please keep coming back and let us know how it's going.

Also are the urban allotments made secure?  And how do they go on about rents?  Can you have 2 bags?

Chloe

[JRP]

 ;DHi, What a good idea you have come up with, to grow things in a small or large space, I'm sure this will take off,  because it could also help to reduce some of our waste going to landfill site, simply done by , when some one is for example having a new drive way laid, the top soil could be put into one of the large bags and reused in the way you are trying to promote, instead of going into a large skip. I'm sure they would last even longer if they use two bags, one inside another. For years now I've been trying to get my ideas used to help reduce some of our waste, but because there's no money involved, no one wants to champion my cause, but you are up and running with who ever supplies your bags, and soil, and you have others to help you too. To some people it don't look good, but it works, just like my reuse of waste plastic containers and unwanted pallets idea does, Please visit www.recycling.moonfruit.com as we are both doing our bit in our own way to grow things, and use space to be of benefit.
May you and yours and what you grow live long and happy. And may I wish you all a very Happy Christmas and a very Happy New Year 2008 too.  John.J.R.P.  ;D

[bupster]

This is absolutely bloody magic. I love it. Do they need anything? Volunteers, publicity etc?

[glosterwomble]

I agree, just brilliant!!!  ;D

[SMP1704]

It is a good idea - I just can't help wondering why the soil couldn't just be ploughed and the space be used for conventional but smaller allotments?

I may have missed it but the website doesn't really explain that either ???

[Rob08]

It is a good idea - I just can't help wondering why the soil couldn't just be ploughed and the space be used for conventional but smaller allotments?

I may have missed it but the website doesn't really explain that either ???

It is probably easier to get started in the first instance and a good bit cheaper than removing all the concrete and contaminated soil and replacing it with arable soil.

Then it is also only a 'temporary' use of the space if the plants are grown in bags and I think that would pacify many a city councillor who are notoriously reluctant to make long term decisions re open spaces in an urban environment.

[JRP]

It is a good idea - I just can't help wondering why the soil couldn't just be ploughed and the space be used for conventional but smaller allotments?

I may have missed it but the website doesn't really explain that either ???

Hi, it's a large container that can be picked up and put somewhere else, with what ever is growing inside it, just like my idea can be used to grow things, which is a good idea, seeing as most gardeners have a back problem, after digging.

[jamesthehat]

RE :- smp's why cant it be plouged up.The sites in a very urban enviroment.A disused tarmaced playground on the very edge of the city part of London,you couldn't dig up this ground as its building rubble from the last 600 years all the way down and then the notorious London clay soil.We dont have ploughs round here anyway,they tend to get nicked.But yes our ares is secure and we all payed £ 2.00 to join.Which payed for our keys to the padlock.

[Eristic]

Code: [Select]

notorious London clay soil.
By far the best in the World.

Call me septic Al if you want but I cannot help feeling that the only harvest here is grant money.

[Baccy Man]

Wasn't it originally commissioned as an art project? http://www.shoreditchfestival.org.uk/programme.html
Where is the long term funding coming from or the project due to be scrapped when the money runs out.

[OllieC]

I would suggest that a group who "consider the qualities of existing conditions that may begin to unlock resources that reduce dependency" (quote from website) have missed a trick by ignoring the qualities of London clay. I would suggest that, if I was cynical. Still, an interesting idea!

[manicscousers]

at least it's something but have they been given an idea of how long they can stay ?

[Eristic]

Once again these ideas bring the philosophies of grow-your-own, recycling etc into disrepute. There's nothing food-wise that can be grown in a Moriati bag that could not be grown better at home in a flowerpot. If this scheme wanted to actually do some good they should have built sturdy boxes on pallets and planted them with shrubs and small trees, keep the public out alltogether, and just move them around to different sites when required. At least that way they could become short term nature reserves and bring some colour to a bleak surrounding.

[Amazin]

Not taking sides, but the saddest thing is the location - a 'disused playground'.

[SMP1704]

James

When I said plough, I was thinking along the lines of a JCB with attachment - they have no trouble getting around urban city environments!

600 years of building rubble?  Shoreditch has always been the most deprived part of London and I doubt that much went to waste, so I would doubt that once you are past the bomb rubble that there is much going on other than clay.  I agree that the task of stripping off and getting rid of the tarmac would be tricky - but take advantage of the City.  Many firms do community days, where teams of workers come out into the community, firm pays for materials etc and workers build/shift/etc.

It is a new way of doing something pretty traditional and I have to confess that I still have trouble getting my head around the financial impact and sustainability of the moriati sack approach.  There have been a couple of similar projects in the East End where women have gotten together to grow herbs and veg and have dug through the tarmac, inch by inch until they had turned the whole yard into growing space.

Are you familiar with the Tower project or Spitalfields City Farm?  Contact them, they may be able to help you turn your bags into something a bit more permanent.

[jamesthehat]

 Interesting to see how much talk I have caused by praising what is essentially a very good idea.You will have to take my word on the fact that a j.c.b to plough up the plot is not viable and that there actually is propably around 4-5 meters of rubble under the tarmac and I could talk all day on the history of my area.
 It has brought together a huge spectrum of ages, colours and backgrounds together and created many new friendships as well as a new past time for some.I hope other people living in  built up spaces where land is a premium and councils awkward take advantage of the scheme.

[bupster]

I'd reiterate my enthusiasm. This is doable, and accessible, while a JCB and returning a disused playground to usable arable land would take much much more energy and resources. More power to your elbow.