With the growing season upon us, the garden team needed to get the walled garden ready to plant. The polytunnel walls were recently refurbished by Havering Parks and made a perfect, protected space for garden seedlings to grow. Unfortunately, the area within the tunnels had been overrun with chest-high weeds and brambles, and our gardeners needed help to clear the space!
Lucky for us, the Big Dig, a nationwide project organised by Capital Growth to engage communities in local food-growing, had a national workday situated perfectly between our first four community engagement labs and the start of major construction at the site.
So, early Saturday on 16th of March, 2013, in concert with London’s Big Dig and with the excellent support of the Parks of Havering, CLEAR VILLAGE, the Friends of Bedfords Park, and a group of eager local volunteers massed at the poly tunnels within the Walled Garden for an exceptional day.
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With various implements of destruction, safely and effectively handled, the team cleared out all the weeds and wheelbarrowed the gravel bed that covered the entire area for later cleaning and redistribution. We pulled up roots still locked onto the soil barrier and arranged work bench frames over to the sunny eastern side of the tunnel. After a hot lunch, we agreed to hold additional community labs, determined a plan to supply water to the tunnel using gutters and cisterns, and imagined the perfect teaching area within the protective confines of the tunnel.
The work was long and resulted in blisters and sore muscles the following day, but we were each well rewarded with renewed team focus and a reinforced understanding that in a single day many hands can accomplish more than a single mind can imagine!
Hats off to everyone for a banner day and special thanks to Erin and Savva Peiou for photography and strong back (respectively), the great Friends of Bedfords Park, Lois and Bill Amos, Carol Thorne, Norman Edney, and the HAVCO Volunteers, Michael Donoghue, and the entire CLEAR VILLAGE staff and families for their excellent contributions and a job well done!
The photos on this page were taken by Erin Peiou.