Join the capital growth plots plan (From Times Series)

Join the capital growth plots plan

4:00pm Friday 16th July 2010 in Opinion

Rosie Boycott: Chair of London Food Board

We now have 500 Capital Growth plots across London in diverse places including schools, on roofs, in skips and even on a canal boat and all are boasting a similarly inspirational story.

Anyone can get involved with the Capital Growth scheme. All you need is enthusiasm and an idea for a plot of land.

We can then help with planning departments if it's needed, and cash. Since the recession began, many new-builds have stalled, leaving chunks of land in half-built states.

Most developers wouldn't countenance letting people grow veg there, but we have worked out a 'meanwhile lease', which means that would-be-growers agree to stay for an initial period of just five years.

We've found this brilliant at getting many new projects moving. And we're thrilled that housing associations are also joining up.

I recently had the pleasure of being introduced to Sonny, who, at 94, is the oldest London vegetable grower I've met.

He's lived in the same sixth floor flat on his estate since it was built in 1956.

One morning last week, Sonny and I were standing in a recently built community vegetable garden launching the Mayor of London's 'Edible Estates' competition.

The garden used to be children's playground, but it fell into dis-use about seven years ago and the area, bordered by a row of garages and a six foot high wire fence, became a hangout for teens; "a drinking, drugging and shouting rude remarks sort of space" says Sonny, expertly rolling a cigarette.

Then, eighteen months ago, a group of residents decided to turn it into a garden. Thirty people came to an initial meeting in the local community centre, which sits next to the garden, and a core team emerged.

They had heard about the Mayor's Capital Growth project and decided to apply for a grant. We awarded them £750, to which their local borough, Tower Hamlets, subsequently added £5,000.

They now have ten big raised beds, two foot high with rich deep soil. We dug up new potatoes which were buried deep in the rich soil. All the beds are communal, which means everyone is responsible for the whole garden.

There is a watering rota and the whole community has got involved. The produce is shared out and any surplus handed out to visitors.

People from the estate have started bringing food scraps to donate to the compost bed; in return, they can fill their own balcony pots from the pile.

There are an estimated 750,000 social housing properties in London.

The 'Edible Estates' competition is open to all residents of social housing projects in London and runs from now until 20 October 2010.

We're getting things going by running a competition to find the capital's best community food grower and the top three winning housing estates will receive a £250 token from B&Q, a ten piece tool set from Bulldog, a Wiggly Wormers Worm Cafe and places on the Capital Growth Training Scheme.

But, don't worry if you haven't yet started your garden. There is still time to get seeds in the ground or to buy plants at your local market. Tomatoes, for instance, aren't too expensive and will reward you with a plentiful crop in a few weeks time; similarly, bean plants, cucumbers and courgettes.

Salad leaves are tremendously fast growers: get the seeds in the ground now and you'll be eating home grown salad in about three weeks. And you don't have to have a raised bed ready; any container will do.

Old buckets, basins, pots, even suitcases make fine plant holders, and they look fun too. I particularly like the sight of lettuce sprouting out of old, leaky wellingtons. This kind of gardening is a great way to recycle.

If you are interested in finding your green fingers, get in touch with your social housing provider and ask them to provide a plot of land for you and other tenants to nurture into thriving food gardens.

For more information on 'Edible Estates' go to: www.capitalgrowth.org/edibleestatescompetition or call 0207 837 1228.

Entrants must be a new community food growing space or an expansion of an existing space on a housing estate.