About Me

Pembroke Pocket Garden
London, SE17 1QR, United Kingdom
Pembroke Pocket Garden is a pocket of space in the heart of Walworth for people to get together, experiment with growing and sharing food, and have creative fun along the way… The container garden is located within the grounds of the community centre Pembroke House, and is entirely what the community makes of it. The space has lots of potential, not only as a place for experimenting with ways of growing food, but also as a venue for events, exhibitions, pop up cafes, outdoor cinema, workshops and more… Pembroke Pocket Garden welcomes new folk all year around, so if you are interested in getting involved and being part of bringing this community space to life, please get in touch by contacting pembrokecommunitygarden@gmail.com
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Wednesday 23 February 2011

A visit to our neighbours - Walworth Garden Farm

On a warm, sping like wednesday in early February the steering group had their first trip together to Walworth Garden Farm.

The motivation behind the trip was to see how other gardens work, and to see what lessons could be leanerd and practiced on Pembroke Community Garden.

The group were warmly greeted by Kevin, the director of Walworth Garden Farm. Kevin kindly gave us a tour of the farm and described how it was created. The garden farm was founded in 1987 in a heavily built up inner-city area of Southwark. Local residents created the farm on derelict land. It is now a local charity and social enterprise and provides environmental education, training in horticulture, beekeeping courses and garden maintenance services.

There was lots to take in. From living roofs...



   To the camberwell butterfly...

   The tour provided much food for thought and fuelled discussion in the steering meeting afterwards, which was held on the benches outside in the farm. The meeting was very fruitful as consensus was reached about what seeds to order for the year.

All in all, it was a great inspirational day out and smiles were abound all around.


Thursday 10 February 2011

Compost, Manure and Palletes Galore!

Agent M, one of the folk on the steering group that is guiding my creation went on a hunt recently for palletes to give me.

When i say pallete, I don't mean one of these...


 Rather, I mean one of these bits of wood that you've probably seen lying around the place, but never known their name-
                                                                        



Now, I hear you ask, why I might these old bits of wood?

Well, every good garden needs a compost heap, and palletes make excellent building materials for these.



The air spaces between the planks give the aerobic organisms which break down the organic matter into compost air to breathe and speed up the process of composting.

  Agent M recognised the importance  of me having a copmpost heap, and so after some perseverence, managed to secure some free palettes from Dulwich Garden Centre.

 As I also need some compost, manure and soil improver to get me going, the steering group decided to water two plants with one watering can, and collect some compost and manure from the centre at the same time.

So on 2nd february, I was given a mound of compost, manure (don't worry, its in bags and so I don't smell!) and enough palettes to a make a generous sized compost heap.






So far 2011 has treated me well :0)




 



Wednesday 9 February 2011

Soil for Christmas!

This is my second blog post - I'm quite IT savy for a garden don't you think?

Much has happened since October 2010, when the first ideas to transform me were sown.

I now have a team of enthusiastic folk working together to bring  my transformation to fruition. It is a diverse team, with members ranging from exotic spanish students to English accountants, and bred and born londoners to Canadaian gentlemen. I feel so lucky to have such a diverse and friendly team working on me.

Before Christmas, I was generously given some new and very good quality topsoil, courtesy of Freecycle.


This would not have been possible had it not been for the soil's chauffeur, Ron, so three cheers for him!





12 bags of top quality soil - what a good Christmas present eh?












 

The beginnings of something...

Dear reader,
 
  This is my first blog entry. In it I am going to share an idea with you that is very close to my heart...

This what I looked like in October 2010.



   I know I may look a little nelgected, but I have potential do I not?

   You see, I am in the process of being transformed, from something quite plain, into a thriving food growing community space.

With a few containers...

 
Some crumbs of compost and soil...



A sprinkling of seeds...



 an ounce of imagination,

  

 and most importantly, some sparks of community energy,



maybe one day I will look something like this?




    Now wouldn't that be great!

   My transformation is being steered by an open community group which meets fortnightly on wednesday mornings  at Pembroke House Community Centre http://www.pembrokehouse.org.uk/index.php. If you would like to be involved please, get in touch with Kathleen on Tel: 020  7703 3803, Mob: 07871 955 394 or Email: kathleen.murray@pembrokehouse.org.uk


Please note, no knowledge or gardening experience necessary! There are many ways to get involved, from dropping in and getting your hands dirty at the weekly garden sessions, to making teas and coffees, to helping with funding applications, or writing this blog!  And maybe you have other ideas of what you might like to do? Whatever they are, I am interested to hear from you.

I hope you visit me soon.

Until then. Adieu

The garden with no name...yet! (I will be christened by the community in Spring/Summer 2011)