Place: Forest Gardens
Date: 24 July 2011
Hours Worked: 2 1/2 hours
Today, we met outside Victoria Hall at 12:40 to walk down to the Forest Gardens together. Amber and Shaakira didn't come today since their allergies were acting up so much last time, and instead worked on a project to present to us later. We waited a few minutes longer for Ashley and Katie, who came around the corner 5 minutes later saying they thought we weren't meeting until 12:45. They still had to go back up to their room, though, so we left without them and said we'd see them there. We got there a minute or two after 1, and Brandi and I went with Barry to go fetch compost while Paige went with Gil to get the tools, and Professor Walker and Cecilia stayed behind to start on weeding. The walk to where the compost is was about 10 minutes long, and then Barry showed us through to where his own little patch was and told us what he was growing. Then he borrowed a friend's wheelbarrow and went back to where the compost is and where Paige and Gil were waiting to help bring back compost. We filled up the wheelbarrows and brought them back, then set to work on the weeding to be done. Katie and Ashley had gotten there in sometime that we had been gone, and were working alongside Dr. Walker and Cecilia. I sat down next to Brandi, who had gone ahead of us with the first wheelbarrow and Barry, and set to working as well. After about 10 minutes though, I heard a buzzing bee quite close to me, so I jumped up and moved away since I am allergic to them. I sat apart for about 6 or 7 minutes until Dr. Walker came back and passed out candy, signaling break time. Gil had brought apple juice and Barry had peanuts for all of us to share, so we sat and talked for about 15 minutes until most of us went back to work. I went back to my spot where I had been weeding before when I noticed that a red rash was spreading on my arms. I thought it was just sunburn, but Cecilia noticed it and said it was definitely some sort of reaction, and Ashley who was nearby, took a look and agreed. I went over and asked Dr. Walker what I should do, and she said to ask if there was anything that needed to be done that didn't include being close to the plants. It was decided I should go use the long shears and work on the edging with Paige and Brandi, so that is what we did until it was time to go.
Today, when we started the day I felt quite refreshed, having had a good nights sleep and waking on my own for once, and having a good, filling lunch so I was quite ready to work. I was slightly irritated at Katie and Ashley being late, because it is not the first nor I'm sure will be the last time that they are late to a group activity; it is the fact that they not only arrive late but tend to leave early as well, like they did today. However, the walk there helped since Paige, Cecilia and I were talking nearly the whole way there. Once we got there, I went to go with Brandi and Barry to get compost, and seeing their community plots was really neat since I had never seen something like that before (and I didn't know we had them in Charlotte either until Dr. Walker mentioned them during our discussion later that day). During the time we were working, I got quite hot since it was probably about 80 degrees Fahrenheit today and I am not used to that temperature anymore, after it being so chilly here for so long. I also felt worried for a bit when I started getting that rash on my arms, and also when the bee was so close to me since I didn't have any allergy medicine with here, there or at the flat. Also, again I felt irritated that Katie and Ashley left before all of us but were still 15 minutes late to our group meeting; I just think it shows lack of respect that they aren't thinking of the group as a whole and taking their time when others are at least trying to make sure there are there about on time.
I think the strongest sense of community I've seen since coming to Manchester I witnessed today, and that was the communal plots Barry showed us today. Barry knew everyone we saw there, said hello and asked how they were, and they responded warmly. The people who rent out these plots seem to have much in common; they must take pride in growing their own food, and in some cases chickens as well, as well as having a love of preserving the earth and treating it well. These people have common ideals, and it showed by their dedication to the patches they rented. Some had taken it upon themselves to even build separate growing troughs and trellises to decorate their bit of space, while others looked much more like the forest garden, wild but with an observable order to it. I do think since it's so tucked away, in order to even know about these communal plots, you would need to be involved in the community, whether it be the Forest Gardens work or another way to find out about them. I believe this allows this communal plot to be not exactly exclusive, but reserved in a way for those who really care enough to keep up with it and use it to a good purpose, and therefore building those who use it's sense of community by having them work alongside each other for its upkeep.
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