conservation – Culture Access

The Nomadic Garden Party

huge mural which has text and central is a red double decker with tentacles out of its windows — impressive Meeting of Styles Mural at the garden

On the May day bank holiday, I went to something I saw curiously advertised as the Nomadic Garden 2nd Birthday Party.

I asked if it was accessible as I am interested in communal gardens, they said it was but it would’t be smooth as the flooring was woodchips

” The ground is covered in wood chips so not easy for a self-propelled but an Indoor/Outdoor wheelchair would be fine. No stepped access or hazards from main gate “

It took us (I went with my intrepid support worker, James) some time to find the space. I was slightly side tracked by the stalls on Brick lane.

We found it in the end and we met James/Jimmy who gave us a potted history of the place – as is narrated in the video.

East Asian woman with hat sitting next to a white man. — with James/ Jimmy who started the project

James told me of the Raggae BBQ party and campfire they have every weekend. The floor might be woodchip strewn but they did think of rudimentary access ramps for wheelchair users.

Many of the plants were in raised beds so they can easily be accessed by some wheelchair users, the people were genearally friendly. It is an accessible place to bring some friends and hang out! Especially when the weather is good!

James said they would definitely like to open it up to more disabled people. Party anyone?

Next event party Meeting of Styles – 27th/28th May

Address Nomadic Gardens E2 6EE Shoreditch

Creating a herb raised bed

A raised bed was built and filled with compost for the first experiment on creating a herb bed.

from September 2015

a woman pointing to a man - they are both smiling. Another man is behind them with a wheelbarrow. — with Michael and Pat, Meantime Nursery staff, setting the idea of raised bed

rough wooden table with a couple of small plants and a blue wheelbarrow — bed about to be the height of this table

A raised bed was made with wooden joined up boxes on three sides. They were underlined with black heavy duty plastic sheets and filled with compost .

November 2015

raised wooden bed on three sides with plastic cover — raised bed

March 2016

trowel in compost under plant roots — planting herbs

trailing rosemary with reddish sage — trailing rosemary with sage

apple mint and lemon balm with green tags — apple mint and lemon balm

Access to conservation:Greenwich Meantime Plant Nursery

First posted at Connect Culture

The Meantime Plant Nursery is an innovative volunteer powered project, aiming to put vacant development land to good use growing plants. The Conservation Volunteers are now offering a new volunteering opportunity at the Meantime Plant Nursery:

-learn and develop horticultural skills such as plant propagation and maintenance.
-enhance your DIY and carpentry skills, building new raised beds, irrigating polytunnels and constructing staging.
-discover dendrology with the ‘Remarkable Tree Project’, our new initiative to find and multiply London’s most unusual and unique trees.

Volunteer days are held every Tuesday from 10-3, tea, coffee, biscuits, and all tools, training and equipment will be provided.

I went along to volunteer one Tuesday and found a cheery welcome. We are sorting out how to be most useful to the project. Plans include a suitably high worktable and possibly raised bed.

The venue has level access and cleared paths with good surfaces for wheelchair users.The site is at the Greenwich Peninsula West Parkside, easily accessed by buses to the Meridian village near the 02 on Jubilee Line (accessible station North Greenwich). It is a good place to relax in a green environment set up in an urban space.

There is a ramp into the office. Unfortunately there is not an usable accessible toilet on the site yet. (But there is an Odeon Imax cinema within a few minutes walk and several restaurants and a B&Q)

We are developing a project on accessible conservation and planting project together – watch this space!

More photos at the flickr page.

Also have a look at this blog on the website which is slightly different from here.

Next blog would give an idea of how the pilot project has developed