CROP-UPS | HAMPTON COURT GARDEN FESTIVAL
We are delighted to be exhibiting CROP-UPS at the Hampton Court Garden Festival this year (6th - 11th July), as part of the ‘Community Allotment Gardens’ category.
Recent research by academics at Imperial College London has revealed a 400% increase in demand for allotments since 2006. Low stress havens to meet others, share skills and stories, appreciate wildlife and get stuck in growing your own fruit and vegetables - it is no surprise that this demand has further skyrocketed during the pandemic.
Concerningly, a separate study by academics at Sheffield University has shown allotment land in the UK has been cut 65% since 1960, with deprived urban areas seeing up to eight times the level of loss.
In response to this we have been exploring the idea of CROP-UPS, pop-up food and plant growing spaces for urban areas with long allotment waiting lists.
The display features eight mobile raised beds, in the form of recycled wheelie bins, which showcase a variety of planting schemes by some of our brilliant community partners.
Meet our brilliant community partners
Rewilding people and places in Tolworth. By adopting techniques used in rural projects, Citizen Zoo and The Community Brain are working on a rewilding vision for Tolworth Court Farm Fields, which stands to be the first of it’s kind in an urban area.
Enabling carbon-conscious domestic gardeners to make biochar (which when applied to soil can improve soil health, crop yields and resource efficiency) safely and sustainably at home with innovative smokeless technology. Earthly Biochar are the first on the market to design and manufacture a purpose-built smokeless biochar kiln.
A project to help inspire people to grow and to make growing accessible to everyone! All can join the celebration of growth by choosing at least one plant to grow each year - vegetable, fruit, herb or flower.
Committed to offering employees the best possible training and personal development to help them succeed with their chosen career path, Idverde’s planter has been designed and created by three of their apprentices with a focus on foraging and ‘eating for free’.
Kingston Environment Centre has been supporting community gardens, cycling or recycling groups, Transition Town movement and other environmental causes since 2013. A not-for-profit with charitable aims, they are also home to Kingston Green Radio.
Pick a Flavour is a ‘growing’ movement of Flavour Favours. You grow a patch or planter of herbs or berries to be accessible from a footpath, then welcome others to pick a portion to add fresh flavour to their meals. It’s a way of neighbours enjoying and sharing home grown herbs, berries, fruit and other edibles.
Offering a permanent outdoor learning space for 3 – 11 year old children from their school, St John’s Forest School and allotment area creates a unique flexible outdoor space for all of their children to enjoy the benefits of learning outdoors and being in nature.
Situated on Tolworth Main Allotments, The Farm of Futures includes an aquaponics system, bee hives, raised planters and chickens with aims to create green communal space into something that can be sustainable for the community.
