This week we welcomed back the South London Urban Growers (S.L.U.G) for the second week of their six week programme with DKH Primary. Our allotment space has never looked better and with the help of the SLUG team, Year 6 and Year 1 children both had the opportunity to visit the allotment and show off their green fingers.
About SLUG:
S.L.U.G: The local gardeners that are transforming disused patches of land in Southwark into Food Forests. A local gardener is on a mission to transform disused green spaces across the borough into what he calls mini ‘Food Forests’. Thirty-one year-old horticulturist and Camberwell resident for six years Ben Peirson has already transformed a small patch of land in Camberwell into a mini food forest and is currently undertaking a larger project at St Francis Park, just off Dog Kennel Hill in East Dulwich.
Ben created S.L.U.G. (South London Urban Growers) in 2019 with fellow horticulturist Alice Ashton from Tulse Hill, but uses a collective of volunteers. The pair aim to get local people in each area to come in on the projects and have managed to win some funding from Southwark Council.
Food Forests’ are assemblies of edible and useful plants that mimic a natural forest. The gardeners plant perennial plants (plants that last more than two years) and edibles that are well adapted to growing in London’s warming and increasingly drought and flood prone climate. The crops include Tree Kale, Oca Root and Passionfruit, to name just a few.
Galleries:
We took some pictures of our amazing gardeners in action, which can be seen in the galleries below. Please click on the thumbnails for a larger view.
Year 1:
Year 6: