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Grow your own greens in a bag video here

The first Vacant Lot allotment garden was started in May 07 with the construction of a water tower that projects above the boundary walls of the site and announces a small change to this inner city housing area in Shoreditch. Flyers were distributed to the surrounding housing inviting residents to become involved and take ownership of a 1m2 plot of land. With the help of the local community a total of seventy 1/2 tonne bulk bags were subsequently arranged and filled with soil to form the allotment space. The building process together with the distribution of flyers and a newsletter attracted many residents to become part of the project. 63 interested households from the surrounding housing estates were given ownership of a VACANT LOT plot and were handed a key to the gate for a one-off fee of £3.50. Since June 2007 local residents are carefully tending a spectacular array of vegetables, salads, fruit and flowers in their individual plots. As well as the local community, insects and birds have moved in and thrive in this new natural habitat. Plot holders take care of their individual plots and tend to visit the garden on a regular basis to sow, water their plants and to collect their harvest. Produce during the first two years included tomatoes, a variety of salads, beetroot, spinach, radishes, courgette, cucumber, carrots, different kinds of beans, corn, cabbage, peppers, squash, potatoes, herbs, strawberries and flowers.