Urban Physic Garden

Being only gainfully employed (or should I say volunteered?) one day a week at The Chelsea Physic Garden at the moment, I thought I would check out the new kid in town: The Urban Physic Garden.  It is going to be a great pop-up garden in Borough, pretty much opposite The Jerwood Space.  The people behind it are a collective of designers, urban growers and would-be alchemists, keen to transform neglected spaces into community gardens.  This neglected site was actually a bombsite in a former incarnation and if I'm honest it still looks like one......

The bombsite.

Planter no.1. Credits:  Sue Palmer & Capability Jones

At the moment, it's more urban than garden but it has grand ideas for itself and I can see the potential.  You wouldn't believe it from the pictures but in about 3 weeks' time this space will be filled with herbs and plants, mostly with medicinal properties - some of them will be in the lovely planters that I built with two of the other volunteers, Sue and Charlotte.

 When they said that we should make the planters in a rustic style, I don't think they realised that I actually come from the countryside where their idea of fixing a gap in the hedge is to drive a decrepit truck into the gap and leave it - of course an old bath is also an alternative method.  Anyway, we went rustic in a big style as you can see.

Branching out with Planter no.2.  Credits:  Charlotte Grimshaw & Capability Jones

Their website promises that "this summer in the Urban Physic Garden there will be a festival of talks, workshops, film screenings and events.  It will be an outside space where a range of people can come together to explore the role of plants in science, health, well-being and the environment"  - what's not to like?

I for one am delighted to be involved and will definitely be dragging along Mr CJ to some of the events.  I also know that they are always keen for people to get involved in whatever way they can, so check out their website and see if there's anything you can do to support this excellent project http://www.physicgarden.org.uk