Tilt

Yesterday we had a great day on the roof top. I had meetings scheduled all day with clients, accountants and solicitors (lawyers) and it was on the beautiful AstroTurf and exquisite box gardens that the urban gardener in myself was born.

We were able to harvest quite a substantial amount (see above) and one of the key partners of the Hackney Pirates Ben even made a birthday lunch for one of the MBA staff, Geetika, out of things from the garden (with an avocado from perhaps a favored street vendor). It was lovely.

I have been reading a book suggested by my friend and colleague Ralph Loglisci called Farm City which is written and takes place in Oakland, CA by Novella Carpenter. The premise of the book is urban farming for the local land squatter. With very limited initial resources, this woman truly lives this way and off her own land in CA. Pigs, goats, chickens, ducks, rabbits… you name it, she has had it and raised it. Farm City has inspired me to really put best practice tools in place to make something special happen in even the smallest way.

The visionary of the garden came from Sam Aldenton who is a creative operations and executive director of the Boostrap Company and his staff has taken on the responsibility full throttle to make sure it stays in tact. Here, the real Dalston Roof Park gardener today, Lottie gently waters and harvests as she walks around the garden. She takes time and care with each area of the space while Sam is away.