Blooming Lambeth
In summer 2017, IEL’s judges and writer/photographer Elaine Kramer looked at gardens nominated by gardeners, friends and neighbours. Lambeth’s Mayor, Cllr Marcia Cameron, presented 18 of the borough’s best gardens and gardening communities with awards in a ceremony at the recently-reopened Museum of Garden History. Every garden won £100 to invest in growing better next year.
Word from the Council
Cllr Marcia Cameron, Mayor of Lambeth, said:
“Sometimes as a Councillor you hear bad things about Lambeth – but I know so much to be proud of: the busy-ness of Waterloo Station, open-air swimming at the Lido, a working windmill, the Black Cultural Archives. Here we are at the world’s first garden museum – and it’s in Lambeth.
“And something we can be particularly proud of is this – so many community activists growing food, growing communities, all doing something to help Lambeth be a better place.”
St Gabriel’s College
The Green Fingers Club at St Gabriel’s College created the ‘Veggie Mobile Garden’ to add some colour and greenery where there were hoardings and tarmac. They have used movable garden trollies as planters, so they can take the garden to their new building in 2018. Placed near the main entrance of the school the trollies were planted up with seasonal vegetables, salad leaves and edible flowers started off in the nearby community greenhouses in Myatt’s Field Park. Crops were chosen so they could be harvested before school was out for the summer.
Green Fingers coordinator Mari Tosti says, “Students loved to discover they could eat borage and marigold flowers. Many staff and students have enjoyed picking a few tomatoes or salad leaves and the Science Department have used the trolleys for some hands on learning.”
For more information
- Food growing is getting bigger and bigger on Lambeth estates. It brings communities and generations together and inspires healthy eating. A trained Community Gardener from Urban Growth will help get your project up and running. You’ll have opportunities to get involved in cooking (or cookery lessons) and other food workshops. Please contact gettinginvolved@lambeth.gov.uk
- Incredible Edible Lambeth (IEL) is a network of food growers and activists working to improve our communities. We exist to re-localise the food system in Lambeth so that it nurtures us and strengthens our communities. See a map of what’s growing where and read more about our campaigns on our news pages.
Thank you to photographer Elaine Kramer for the words and pictures on the ‘Blooming Lambeth’ pages.
