Amma’s New Allotment Space
This Spring, GreenFriends UK hosted a Seed Swap at the MA Centre which was attended by several local environmental groups including Bourne Vale Allotments. This is an award-winning community allotment project less than 10 minute walk from the MA centre which is buzzing with life and vitality. Yamunah and Vakees met Joan and Keith from Bourne Vale at the Seed Swap and began forging ties which consequently led to them offering us a little quarter plot. We happily agreed. A group of interested green friends soon came together to collaborate and share ideas about the best way to move forward. Observations and surveys were shared with the group and a wealth of fantastic ideas emerged. With Amma’s grace, this little plot has the potential to bring us together to love and serve Nature while allowing our local community to get to know us better and experience Amma’s teachings through our actions. We hope that this will not only help the MA Centre work towards self-sufficiency but also provide opportunities to network and introduce more people to the Centre and Amma.
Our small plot is next to the community orchard where members are free to harvest the apples, plums, damsons and berries. What a blessing! The bed nearest the orchard has poor soil dried out from the neighbouring trees, the recent drought and exhaustion. The adjacent bed is equally tired and lifeless. James and I (Tinsel) were tidying recently and lifted a large broken paving slab. Nothing moved underneath it. No worms, no bugs, no creepies or crawlies of any description. There is no life in our earth. Our soil is in desperate need of nourishment. The earth should eat first and then we eat. The initial viewing suggested that the soil was great quality, so I was eager to get growing. It isn’t. First things first: we must nourish the earth and make a good home for Amma’s army of little helpers.
I love Chloe, Charu, Kaivalya and Mark’s ideas of building up the orchard bed with ‘lasagne mulch’ (cardboard and clippings in layers.) Kaivalya reminded me of the obvious that the soil next to the orchard will necessarily be dry and rooty. Light bulb moment. Of course it will — so let’s build soil up not dig down? So, we can feed the first bed a ‘lasagne mulch’ of green clippings and cardboard. We can gently create these layers, feeding, nourishing and protecting. We can keep shopping for compost to a minimum and make our own soil. I used to visit a community garden in London who used this method on top of the concrete banks of an old canal. Fruit trees and abundant vegetables and flowers grow there now, where before there was only ruin. I think we could do this too.
I am really inspired by Krish’s idea of field beans and rye green ‘manure’ on the outer bed. Classic Permaculture. I practically swooned at the idea. The beans are a nitrogen fixer and the rye is a nitrogen lifter. The roots will go deep into the soil and work their magic and the healing begins. We will cut this crop in the New Year and dig it in, then cover until it is time to plant. This means that even the plants themselves are part of our team of gardeners and we can show the other plot holders how we work in harmony with nitrogen beyond quick fixes of chemical fertilisers.
At the top of the plot is a wonky Fig. The poor wee tree is leaning forward at a sharp angle, bent over with neglect and waiting patiently for someone to come and help. I have spoken to fellow gardener, Chris from plot B10 who has raised a wonky tree before. He suggested putting a prop against the tree and then gently increasing these until the tree is upright. He is happy to help us when we are ready. He suggested we do this over a year in case the tree snaps from being forced. I am so excited by this. What a beautiful meditative spot it could be for us. Chloe will come and tell us the story of Buddha and the fig tree while we sit underneath it. 😊. We are so grateful to the allotment community who have experience in gently raising wobbly trees like ours and have talked us through the (slow) procedure offering any assistance we need when we are ready to begin this task. The Fig is a sacred tree whose existence abounds with tales of great Saints and enlightenment. So, raising this tree could be a spiritual practice; symbolic and reverent. And in return She will give us shade and a place to meditate together and maybe even fruit if Amma smiles in our direction.
Mark suggested we have a shady shed — and mentioned chai? I’m especially interested if chai tea emerges from it! If you take a look at the rules and regs this would need to be agreed by the committee. But fires are allowed. Wow that is great news for the autumn winter season. I have a little metal ‘bin and chimney’ at home that I can donate to keep us warm — just because I like fire, it’s a friend.
For now, I would hope to clear, clean and treat the decking (which would be the obvious place for a shed) as a seating area for Sevites and ‘storing’ salvageable wood, sticks etc. We could have some lovely pots on there too, Chloe suggested a mini shrine. That would be my joy. Shade is always available in the communal ‘hut’. There is a kettle, teas, coffee, biscuits — and opportunities for a friendly chat.
And, what is the purpose of this allotment? I would say that I hope to care for the earth first and foremost and Mother’s little creatures who are so busy looking after Nature. For us, I would hope to see a mixture of veg, fruit, flowers, herbs and medicine. I would like the space to be beautiful and sacred. I would hope the space would be reverential.
So that’s how we are making a beginning here. We are sharing decision making, collaborating using our combined expertise and always remembering that Amma teaches us to love and serve others. First, we feed the earth, then we feed the little gardeners and then in turn they will feed us right back.
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