Community Allotment by Queens Park Cafe

[Transition Kensal to Kilburn]

We now have a community allotment in Queens Park (behind the cafe).

The raised beds have been built... all that is needed now is a community of people to plant it, tend it and harvest it... would you like to be involved?

Emily Hamilton will meet with other volunteers at the Queens Park cafe to see the raised beds and start planning what and when to plant.
Please come along if you are interested... Let Emily know if you can come on 07779 100187.
If you can't make this time but would like to be involved please also contact Emily to arrange another meeting.

[Molly Fletcher]

Dear Elaine and Others,

I've just got some info about Capitol Growth Grants for food growing in London that we seem to be eligible for. We could use the £1000 to buy fruit trees and fruit/berry bushes for the Queens Park community food garden. What does everyone think about this? It seems we tick all the boxes but we have to apply quickly as the first round of applications must be in by 14th Feb.

Molly

[Rob Cope]

Sorry, I've only just got to my inbox/Ningbox(?) so missed the meeting. When's next?
Is there storage onsite for tools etc?

May be able to help with grant app, other activities permitting.

Rob

[Natasha Harris]

Hi all,

Look forward to hearing about plans to start some gardening on the triangle behind the cafe.

The idea of a medicinal garden sounds very exciting too.

Natasha

[Molly Fletcher]

Rob,

Help with the grant application would be great. Can you down load an application form? It's for the food growing in London  small grant of £1000 from Capitol Growth. I think we fulfill all the criterion from the leaflet I picked up.

[Elaine Henderson]

I think it might be premature to apply for a grant for fruit trees/ bushes in the park as we don't have agreement for these yet.  The City of London have their own plans, made in advance, and it is amazing that they're letting us do anything in the park at all.  They plan to plant espaliered fruit trees in a bed by the tennis courts, but only once they've sorted out a drainage problem there, and they would choose and buy those trees themselves. 

I think that for now we should concentrate on doing a good job in the two raised beds, and on working with Living Medicine on the triangular bed behind the cafe, and see what else might be possible in the future.  I'll liaise with the park staff and then suggest some dates here for the clearance of the triangular bed.

[Molly Fletcher]

Would it be worth at least running this by Richard Gentry? Also the grant need not be only for Queens Park. The £1000 could be used to buy fruit bushes/fruit trees to plant on any of the other sites we looked at on our bike ride round the area. What do others think about the grant?

Molly

[Molly Fletcher]

Elaine, Maybe we could plant a Neem tree in or near, the medicinal garden. Here's all about it:

The Neem Tree

A low-tech toothbrush and so much more

Believe it or not, I grew up without ever using a regular toothbrush until I was about 9 years old.  You see, we had a couple of “neem” trees (botanical name: Azadirachta Indica)  growing in the backyard of our home in South India.  My grandfather would cut little twigs – about the size of toothbrushes – and keep a bunch of them handy. First thing in the morning, I would pop one of these twigs into my mouth and wander around chewing the tip to a pulpy, fibrous brush.  No need for toothpaste either. The taste is slightly bitter and astringent but not unpleasant, causing a lot of saliva.  By the time I had chewed the tip enough, the stiff fibers of the twig had cleaned out my mouth and teeth as well.  The chewed twig is pitched, a fully recyclable and non-polluting, low cost brushing option.

That is just a bit of traditional color from my childhood. The medicinal value of neem extracts in traditional ayurvedic medicine is immense. Depending on who you talk to, the neem trea is a veritable treasure trove that can cure just about everything.  All parts of the neem tree (seeds, flowers, bark, leaves) are used in medicinal preparations. Among the better documented uses of the neem tree are:

• Neem oils and extracts are used as pesticides against a wide variety of insects, ticks, worms and mites.
• Neem oil is an effective mosquito repellent.
• Neem extracts are thought to be useful in combating malaria – but this has yet to be proven in rigorous clinical studies.
• It is used as a spermicide, for prevention of pregnancy.
• Many local brands of cosmetics (soap, shampoo, face creams) advertise they have neem extracts in them since it is considered to be good for maintaining skin elasticity and acne prevention. It is also thought to be effective in the treatment of scabies.
• Traditional Indian medicine uses a decoction of neem tree roots to relieve fever.  But just like aspirin, its use in children is contra-indicated!
• Chewing the leaves or twigs of the neem tree is thought to help control gingivitis, freshen breath and clean teeth.
• Extracts of neem leaves may be useful in controlling diabetes.
• Of particular interest to me, neem extracts are thought to be of use in controlling GERD (gastric acid reflux disease).

This list is just the tip of the iceberg. Traditional Ayurvedic medicine considers the neem tree a veritable cornucopia of medicinal uses. I have no doubt that with a little web surfing you will be able to find much more detailed information regarding the potential uses of this remarkable tree.

If I stuck around in India until “Ugadi” the South Indian version of lunar New Year rolls around, my mom would feed me a spoonful of a very special traditional chutney first thing on New Year’s day.  It would have in it freshly minced neem flowers, along with tamarind, brown sugar, salt and hot chillies.  The idea is to capture all five taste groups – bitter, sour, sweet, salty and hot – a reflection of the many facets of life to come in the New Year, each to be welcomed and cherished for its own sake.

[Elaine Henderson]

Yes, I'll ask Richard.  I don't think there are any other sites where we could plant trees or bushes at the moment, but I'm growing blackcurrants from cuttings from my own bushes in case there's anywhere to put them...

Molly Fletcher said:

Would it be worth at least running this by Richard Gentry? Also the grant need not be only for Queens Park. The £1000 could be used to buy fruit bushes/fruit trees to plant on any of the other sites we looked at on our bike ride round the area. What do others think about the grant?

Molly

[Molly Fletcher]

Perhaps we could also use the grant money to fund more raised bed materials to add to the Winchester Avenue ones?
Molly
Elaine Henderson said:

Yes, I'll ask Richard.  I don't think there are any other sites where we could plant trees or bushes at the moment, but I'm growing blackcurrants from cuttings from my own bushes in case there's anywhere to put them...

Molly Fletcher said:

Would it be worth at least running this by Richard Gentry? Also the grant need not be only for Queens Park. The £1000 could be used to buy fruit bushes/fruit trees to plant on any of the other sites we looked at on our bike ride round the area. What do others think about the grant?

Molly

[Richard Gentry]

Elaine, Molly and other group members.  If you give me some dates when you would like to meet and do some work on the plots I'm sure we can give some support with help from the park staff.  I can also arrange for teas, coffees and biscuits to keep the workers motivated.  The weather is starting to warm up now and the sun is showing it's face from behind the clouds, an ideal opportunity to get out there.  We'll try and tie it in with some talks from Mara and the Living Medicine project.

 

Richard Gentry

[Molly Fletcher]

Wednesday mornings but not tomorrow seem favorite to me

Molly

Richard Gentry said:

Elaine, Molly and other group members.  If you give me some dates when you would like to meet and do some work on the plots I'm sure we can give some support with help from the park staff.  I can also arrange for teas, coffees and biscuits to keep the workers motivated.  The weather is starting to warm up now and the sun is showing it's face from behind the clouds, an ideal opportunity to get out there.  We'll try and tie it in with some talks from Mara and the Living Medicine project.

 

Richard Gentry

[Natasha Harris]

Hi,

I'm able to do Wednesday 9th in the morning, and probably every other Wednesday thereafter.

Let me know if there'll be anyone there on the 9th and what time.

thanks

Natasha