Herb-growing on Bowes Park station platform

Is anyone interested in communal herb-growing on the Bowes Park station platform?  Herbs would be grown in large pots, weeded and watered by commuters and harvested as needed by them on their weary way home..

This is being done successfully by the 'Incredible Edible Todmorden' project in Yorkshire - see photo at (http://www.incredible-edible-todmorden.co.uk/projects/community-her...)

Capital First Connect who run the station are open to the idea in principle, and would like to see plans.  Sustainable Bowes Park has some money left over from the Enfield Residents Priority Fund to pay for pots and seeds; the most important factor is volunteer labour!

The containers would be large and heavy enough to be immovable by any mischief-makers, waist-high for easy access, and filled one-third hard core (at the bottom), one-third with polystyrene as a filler, and the top third with compost and water-retaining crystals.  Then planted with drought-tolerant Mediterranean types (rosemary, thyme etc). 

Water may need to be carried to the station, depending on whether tenants/staff can supply it.  Weeding would ideally be done by regular station users while they wait for their train in the mornings.

Please let me know if you can offer any watering/weeding help, or have any comments or suggestions. 

Thanks very much,

Mary Blake

for Sustainable Bowes Park

Views: 1550

Comment by Trish Dyson on November 20, 2013 at 16:57
Checked up on our herbs this morning, and sorry to report that all the thyme plants have disappeared, leaving a solitary rosemary in one of the planters - I suspect a human hand this time, as they seem to have been removed rather neatly!
The other two planters are looking fine.....
Comment by Mary Blake on November 21, 2013 at 20:17

Gosh, it's getting even more like a folk song!  'He (if it was a he) stole away my thyme..', to follow on from 'Parsley, sage, rosemary & thyme' (without the parsley)!

In my recycling bins experience, they get stolen about four times before boredom sets in on the thief's part.  This may not applicable to herbs on station platforms, but I think it's worth replacing them. 

Is anyone free this weekend to buy replacements and send me the bill?  We have some money left from the Enfield grant.  I won't be able to get round to that in the immediate future, but will chase up the plaques with First Capital Connect - maybe a bit of signage will help, who knows..

Comment by Mary Blake on January 30, 2015 at 10:50

Hi Herb Lovers

We leafy residents of the planters on Bowes Park station platform are looking a bit unkempt - is anyone around who's got a bit of spare time/skill/muscle to help give us a makeover?  Caroline has kindly offered some free compost and daffodil bulbs, so we could be putting on a colourful show by spring with a just a brisk bit of clipping, planting and mulching..  Please let Mary know if and when you're willing (but she isn't this weekend we're afraid).  

Love The Herbsxx

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