Transition Town Tooting

Category: Gardening

  • Design Workshops for Pollinator Paths Wandsworth project went well – thanks to all!

    Twenty people joined in this partnership project’s Design Workshops held on 10 & 11 March: connecting, analysing, sharing, debating.

    We did just what we needed to do. We were a mixed group of experts, the interested and novices navigating explanations, challenges, concentration, humour and insights:

    We analysed the diverse settings that local gardeners are using – from back gardens to paved patios to balconies.

    We explored the potential benefits to pollinators
    “Would the planting make a difference to individual targeted species or should we focus on a broad group of pollinators?”

    We shared our own knowledge and experience about the pollinating plants to select for the different settings – and we found new resources too.

    We met new colleagues and connected across the borough  “I never knew there were so many other people locally who are interested in the same things as me…”

    We looked forward at the shape of the project, and some new opportunities – for example “shall we include making the planting containers using re-purposed materials?”

    We finished the second workshop feeling optimistic together about the project, with plenty of homework from the 2 afternoons and much to plan.

    Thanks to all including the visiting experts, plus Lizzy and Hannah from London Sustainability Forum for facilitating.

    The next formal event is the distribution of plants in May at the hub gardens – accompanied by creative and fun activities as part of the Wandsworth Fringe.
    Before then we will be reaching out to find gardeners who want to take part. Please email us anytime if you would like to join in.

    All welcome to join the Pollinator Paths Wandsworth Facebook page for info and updates.
    Or email Charles at TTT to get involved.

  • Pollinator Paths Wandsworth – a new project for 2017 linking gardeners across the borough to experiment with planting that benefits insects

    This is a new and imaginative project that is being launched now and will run throughout 2017.

    Pollinator Paths Wandsworth is all about encouraging local gardeners to establish small patches as wildlife havens. Several community gardens are involved, so there will be plenty of support. It’s going to be a good project to strengthen growing links across the borough.

    We’ll encourage many gardeners to grow selected varieties of plants which in turn are good forage for insects.
    Spinach moth image by Roy Leverton, Butterfly Conservation.

    We’re mixing growing with citizen science: we’ll research the ‘microclimates’ of London plots, balconies and windowboxes both for growing and for insects, we’ll share the results and we’ll take part in a fascinating and fun practical experiment together.

    Individuals, families, schools can get involved – anyone with a plot even if it’s small – and beginners are welcome as we’ll share all the how-tos.

    Why benefit insects? Maybe it sounds backwards to plant for the benefit of insects, but suitable habitat and forage are both reducing across London. Click here for the flyer.

    The project programme:

    • The first phase is research into city microclimates, what insects to support and what to grow. 
    • That will happen in 2 free public workshops on Friday March 10th and Saturday March 11th – all welcome to join one of the events on whichever date suits. More info to come; the Friday 10th workshop will be in Tooting and the Saturday 11th workshop in Wandsworth Town, both running from 2:00 to 5:00.
    • Then we’ll resource the plants that we select to grow.
    • The young plants will be shared out in May to those who are taking part. You’ll get support from several community growing spaces in Wandsworth. Tooting Community Garden’s plant-sharing day is Sunday May 21st
    • In summer we’ll all be growing the selected plants at our different sites: noting what does well, what crops we get, what insects find the plots and sharing information on facebook

    How to get involved?

    • You can sign up that you are interested via this online form – no commitment.
    • You can email us at TTT or talk to us at the Tooting Community Garden or another TTT event

    Plus: There’s an extra ingredient of creativity being stirred into the pot. The plant-sharing in May will be part of the Wandsworth Arts Festival Fringe, and as part of the Fringe there will be free family arts events linked to Pollinator Paths at each of the gardens.

    The project has been put together by London Sustainability Exchange working in depth with the various gardens. TTT is thrilled to be in this partnership.

     
    We hope that you will be interested to take part in this fascinating 
    growing and biodiversity project this year – all welcome.

  • TTT 2016 Gardening Celebration tonight!

    Tonight is the TTT 2016 Gardening Celebration – plus we’re looking forward to exciting things in 2017. The event is at The Selkirk near Tooting Broadway from 7:00 pm.

    To celebrate the celebration:
    here are five current growing, gardening and sustainability events and ideas to follow up even if you can’t make it tonight:

    1 TTT attended the bi-annual Wildlife Gardening Forum last week at the Natural History Museum. This is always an amazing and cross-cutting event with around 100 participants – private gardeners, schools, local authorities, biodiversity and growing charities, researchers, enterprises.

    The theme this time was learning from European experience in Germany, Belgium, Austria the Netherlands, Ireland (oh, and Scotland).
    Why learn from Europe? Click on the photo…

    We learned a German word – schwammstadt  – meaning ‘sponge city’. A sponge city is redesigned to be responsive and adaptive to climate change impact and allow for more natural rainfall retention, reducing runoff. (See the event on December 8th in para 4 below).
    Anyone can attend the Forum; it’s a great day when you can meet experts and work out what ideas you can use yourself. And all the presentations appear for free on the WLGF website in due course.

    2 TTT joined Capital Growth’s ‘Roots to Growth’ workshop.
    We looked at the experience and potential of farming as an enterprise within London.

    There’s tons of good info on the Capital Growth site – all these reports are free downloads.

    While the pleasure and impact of growing together is not only about saving money and managing our budgets, what do you think is the annual value of the crops grown by 2000 London gardens linked to Capital Growth? Include crops for sharing, not only veg which are sold, so you can include Tooting Community Garden’s pumpkins in the calculation. Have a guess – the answer is at the end of this blog.
    We could take up the challenge of recording our crops – see the Harvest-ometer from Sustain.  
    This kind of data is very valuable in order to be able to make our case for more growing in London!
    TTT’s friend Mark at Vertical Veg has documented the equivalent value of what he grows – click here to read about it.

    Plus here’s a great idea: three new projects each pitched their idea for two minutes – and we voted during the day so that one project won £50, one £100 and one £150.
    You really can make your point in two minutes – it was very impressive!

    3 We hosted a meeting with the RHS
    The Royal Horticultural Society supported our 2015-16 Rooting in Tooting project via their Greening Grey Britain campaign. Ten days ago we met Brid O’Dwyer from the RHS for a ‘walk and talk’ around Tooting to discuss our own experience of urban growing and what gardens like ours look for in terms of support. At the same time the RHS is refining its own approaches to supporting community projects. We had a short chat with Sarah Bailes at Share Community gardens in Springfield Hospital:

    There the conversation included making the RHS certification schemes accessible to a wider audience, for example people with a range of learning difficulties.

    4 Looking forward, TTT is a partner in a 2017 hot-composting project originated by our friend Martin (who ran most of Growing Tooting earlier this year). This project has received support from Wandsworth Borough Council, and will ask individuals, families and schools to compare experience of using hot composting bins. Please contact TTT for information.

    5 Also looking forwards, on 8th December Joanna Ecclestone from London Wildlife Trust will be speaking at the Wandsworth Environment Forum about the benefits of replacing areas of paving with planting to create rain gardens. Free to join in, details here.

    Early in 2016 TTT also helped build a green roof at Brockwell Park Community Greenhouses, a project funded from the London Wildlife Trust. Green roofs have exactly that purpose of allowing downpours to slow down and soak into soil rather than being trapped by paving. That’s urgent, and not just a ‘nice to do’ in areas prone to flooding.
    Plus on December 8th there will a special TTT prize for anyone who uses the word schwammstadt.

    Good Growing and enjoy the celebration this evening!
    PS the value of crops grown in London in spaces linked to Capital Growth is over £2 million – see the Reaping Rewards report

  • Foodival Top Tooting Cook entries – wow!

    Feast your eyes on these amazing photos of the #Foodival2016 Top Tooting Cook entries!  All grown principally from donated home grown produce. More details on recipes and prize winners will follow … but I thought you’d like to see this hot off the press!

    Thank you to Charles for these stunning shots.  There’ll be some from the Soup Disco photo booth soon too!

  • #Foodival2016 starts tomorrow! Join in, donate produce and celebrate local grow-&-cook-your-own

    The Tooting #Foodival2016 starts Saturday 10th from 1300-1700

    This is the ninth year we’ve run the Tooting Foodival, and every year we call out to local gardeners for home-grown donations.

    Every year we’re amazed at the range and quality of what gets grown locally by beginners and experts in backyards or pots, on balconies or allotments.
    Maybe you took part in our Growing Tooting classes in spring 2016?
    Maybe you have been growing your own all your life.

    Here’s our ‘I Grew This’ poster of locally-grown donations at the 2015 Foodival.

    To contribute your locally-grown donations, please select something you’ve grown which you’d like to share and bring it along to Mushkil Aasaan, 222 Upper Tooting Road SW17 7EW between 1:00 pm and 4:00 pm on Saturday 10th Sept. There are lots of other activities at the venue on Saturday.

    • After 4:00 pm on Saturday 10th, local cooks taking part in the Top Tooting Cook event will be able to choose produce from what’s on offer. There will be the potential for wonderful dishes – maybe with surprising ingredients that the cooks had not anticipated using before seeing the selection. Top Tooting Cook will be judged on Sunday afternoon at Mushkil Aasaan.
    • Then we’ll store remaining vegetables overnight for use in the Soup Disco cook-up with music and dancing on Sunday evening in Tooting Market.
    • Any surplus will be donated to the Battersea Canteen supper clubs being run by the London Cooking Project and Tooting’s own Be Enriched. The clubs aim to reduce food waste and feed those in need.  And to CARAS, who run clubs and support services for refugees and asylum seekers in south west London.
    A huge Jerusalem Artichoke!
    And small ones – but with big leaves!

    Whatever you decide to bring along, donating is all about celebrating local food and wanting to share that enthusiasm with others.
    It’s about sharing Tooting’s flavour, diversity and interest! 

  • Tooting Community Garden Summer Picnic 7th Aug

    All welcome to join us for an informal and free family picnic on Sunday 7th August from 1- 3 pm at the Community Garden at 5 North Drive SW16 1RN.

    At 2pm we’ll unveil the oak sculpture that many hands have been carving with Fio’s support since June ’15

    Come over from 11am if you would also like to do some gardening!

    The picnic is going to be a simple and enjoyable family get-together, and a time to chat and enjoy the garden. Please bring whatever you wish to eat, plus some to share.

    We’ll provide tea-making with the volcano kettle – and there’s mint, lemon balm and more to sample.
    It would be very helpful if you could bring a mug for tea.

    We’ll prepare a bed of hot charcoal. Try our special long-handled popcorn maker…!

    At 2pm we’ll unveil the oak sculpture 

    No alcohol please, out of respect for Mushkil Aasaan the social charity who lends us the garden land. Thanks for your consideration.

    And no need to RSVP: just come along.

    We’ll post any late picnic notices on the Tooting Community Garden facebook pages.

    See you on Sunday!

  • Update on Border Control – Gold Medal garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace.

    On the 30th June CARAS Youth Club members travelled to the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show to help with the build of the Border Control Concept Garden. It was a fascinating visit – to see the TTT blog post, click here.
    Now the garden is finished and open to the public. The Youth Club paid a second visit this week to see it.

    In the past week there has been a lot of interest in Border Control. Although we don’t claim any responsibility we are thrilled…
    The garden won an RHS Gold Medal, and also won the Award for the best of the ten Concept Gardens. 
    We’re proud because taking a very small part in the garden has helped us spread the word about the reality of refugees’ experiences and helped us be confident that our Rooting in Tooting project with CARAS is valuable. The visit has given fascinating experiences for Youth Club members as a group about encountering new aspects of Britain, and created and opportunity for them to explore and communicate their own responses.

    The Evening Standard covered Border Control again yesterday, including an interview with one of the CARAS Youth Club members – you can read the article here

    Finally, there are a few free tickets available for the Hampton Court Show, for tomorrow (Sunday) – the last day.  
    These tickets have to be collected in Tooting today, Saturday 9th July, before 4pm.
    This is a very last minute-offer so excuse the rush – if you would like to have a ticket or two, email as soon as you can to TTT at transitiontowntooting@gmail.com and we will explain how to collect.
    Go and visit Border Control in person!

  • Rooting in Tooting project: CARAS Youth Club members explore ‘Border Control’ show garden at RHS Hampton Court Palace flower show

    For over a year TTT has been facilitating Rooting in Tooting project activities with diverse groups of all ages via the Tooting charity CARAS (Community Action for Refugees and Asylum-Seekers).

    Yesterday we accompanied a group from the CARAS Youth Club to explore the build of the Border Control show garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Flower Show which opens on 5 July.

    Not ‘herbaceous borders’…. the garden is aiming to illustrate the physical and emotional challenges and successes faced by refugees: goals, barriers, borders, setbacks, surprises, hopes and fears.

    The show garden is the creation of 2 designers Tom Massey and John Ward, and supported by the UN Refugee Agency. Thanks to you all for the hospitality and discussions!

    Photo: Paul Wu UNHCR

    The young people met Mark Tran from The Guardian, and here is a link so you can read his article published today, titled Hampton Court Palace flower show to highlight plight of refugees.

    There were many more human stories just in the short journey we made together yesterday. For some of the young people it was their first ever train trip. “Look how big the river is here…where does it come from?” The dozens of teams of contractors on site made us wonder “how do they all know what to do..?”

    At the security gate we filled in forms and collected wrist ID along with our high-vis vests and brand new safety boots (thanks to Chris at the RHS, to Tom and Mark and to Laura from UNHCR for sorting all that out).


    We gazed thorough another fence at the semi-wild deer living in the park. In a preview of the butterfly dome, the free-flying insects settled on our shoulders and on the lantana flowers: “we have that plant everywhere in Afghanistan”.

    The build will be completed this weekend (it has to be) and on show all next week. The CARAS Youth Club will go again to see the finished garden. Maybe there will be other local visitors from Growing Tooting grow-your-own classes.
    Do visit Border Control & say you’re connected with TTT and our optimistic work with partners in Tooting.

    It’s the largest flower show in the world – have an eye-opening trip if you go!

  • ‘Bringing Nature Closer to Home’: Wildlife Gardening Forum November 2015

    ‘Bringing Nature Closer to Home’ is the tagline of the Wildlife Gardening Forum, which held its tenth anniversary meeting yesterday at the Natural History Museum in London.

    Several of us from Tooting and TTT attended – along with 80 other gardeners, enterprises, government agencies, charities and community groups. It’s always a stimulating day (available to all; the Forum has 800+ members now).
    Anyone can use the Forum’s rich resources at www.wlgf.org/
    Forum meetings are held twice a year and give us a valuable chance to hear practical ideas from across the UK, learn about brand new research and discuss key topics with experts and practitioners – in sessions or over coffee.

    I’ve found there has always been learning to bring home to Tooting from these Forum meetings. 

    Plus practical things to do – here is a citizen science survey that will let us contribute to earthworm research (ie ‘soil ecosytem services’).




    Some highlights of the day:
    ‘Gardening is very personal’

    • Gardening is very personal. We do it for many reasons, and age demographics and our perceptions of child safety mean that the importance of having nature right on our doorstep is more significant than ever (Chris Baines, author, broadcaster and gardener )

    Why do people garden?

    • To offer scope for: making a place we like, creative decisions, relaxation, socialising, children’s play, growing food, spirituality, hobbies, storage, showing status
    • And front gardens and back gardens are viewed very differently by their owners. (both Lee Dixon, PhD research)

    How has our recognition of the value of gardens to wildlife (and vice versa) developed?

    • At horticulture college in 1966-69 I spent three years being taught to kill everything that moved (Chris Baines)
    • In the old days gardeners arranged plants entirely for the benefit of people. We used to ask how to get rid of it? Now we ask how can we invite wildlife in?
    • We may not understand all about garden biodiversity. But if we build wildlife-friendly gardens, then wildlife will find it’. (both James Alexander-Sinclair, garden designer and RHS judge)

    How can communities get involved?

    • Gardeners and groups in rural settings or cities are already involved: for example feeding birds and growing pollinator-friendly plants, and observing nature in and around their gardens.
    • Buglife outlined Urban Buzz. It’s a national project for 8 cities which will be launched next week, aiming to get 800 pollinator plant hotspots buzzing over the next few years, with thousands of people joining in as guides, volunteers and participants.
    • We heard about Plants for Bugs – new Royal Horticultural Society research on whether native or non-native plants (typically mixed in our gardens) are more beneficial for insects. Info here.

      Development at the Natural History Museum
      WLGF co-ordinator Steve Head offered a passionate plea to the Natural History Museum to reconsider aspects of their recent proposal to resolve how to get ever-growing numbers of visitors into the museum.
      Steve suggested that the proposed new route that would obliterate the Museum’s twenty-year-old Wildlife Garden could be improved, and that this oasis of inner-London biodiversity could be preserved. (Background details to NHM proposal online here).


      We’ll share the full report of the day when available. 
      The next Forum meeting is in 6 months – all are welcome.

    • Leo’s Garden: an oasis tucked above Tooting

      Tooting has a new and delightful asset!

       
      A new garden balcony for all the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known). Leo was Facilities Manager at the Tooting campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. Leo’s Garden is a University and College Union initiative and was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre.

      Angie raising a fizzy apple juice as a toast to Leo’s memory

      Spring bulbs were planted later today in memory of Leo, adding to the planting done over spring and summer this year – all funded by the volunteers themselves. As well as a memorial to Leo, the garden is consciously about health and safety – creating an attractive place for any college staff to boost their wellbeing during a busy day. 


      It’s an environmental project too: showing what can be done collectively by volunteers to make their surroundings at work come alive. Kate Turney from STC said the intention is “to support biodiversity by growing a mixture of flowers, vegetables and herbs which can turn a small concrete space into a greener cleaner wildlife friendly haven”.

      Cutting the cake: “I now declare Leo’s Garden open!”

      “This space is meant to be a green space in a very built-up area,” said Angie, “and it’s meant to be a place for the staff to relax. Leo was one of those people who made it good to come to work. He was kind, he was funny, he always did everything he could for you. When we sit here and we think of nice things, it’s Leo that we want to think about”.

      Artura West, wood and stone carving tutor at the STC Wandsworth campus, designed and carved the ash plaque.
      “If you look closely, you’ll see each “E” has a flowering motif, to keep the theme of the garden,” he said.

      The view from the supermarket carpark – you’d never know the garden is there.
      And look at the unusual views from the balcony (this one in July this year) – giving visitors a brand new new insight into Tooting.
      More photos online courtesy of Dave Mauger at Tooting DailyPRSS here.
      It was great to be invited to the opening of the Leo’s Garden – thank you!
      We’re sure that other groups may like to do something similar at work or in their neighbourhood. TTT has a brand new project called Growing Tooting which can offer support to beginners or experienced gardeners who want to get growing together. Please get in touch with TTT to explore how we can assist….we look forward to hearing from you!

      A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

      Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
      The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
      – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

      A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

      Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
      The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
      – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

      A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

      Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
      The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
      – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

      A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

      Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
      The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
      – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf

      A new balcony for the staff at the Tooting campus of South Thames College opened today in memory of Mumney Olusanya (or Leo, as he was better known).

      Leo was the Facilities Manager at the Tooting Campus, and died on the 31st October 2013. The aptly named Leo’s Garden was opened by Angie Birtill of the Trade Union Studies Centre, and is a University and College Union (UCU) initiative. Bulbs will be planted later today in memory of Leo.
      The balcony has also been created as a green space, as demonstrated by the different flowers and plants dotted around the area
      – See more at: http://tooting-news.dailyprss.co.uk/tabs/blog/preview/2015/10/leos-garden-opens-at-south-thames-college-in-tooting#sthash.tDWV7sDv.dpuf