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Black Mumsnetters

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Caribbean Gardening

11 replies

PompomDahlia · 03/02/2022 18:29

Calling all Black Mumsnetters: I heard about this exhibition at the Garden Museum on Caribbean Garden Heritage in South London - it’s been on since November and ends on 6th March. It’s a small museum tucked away between Vauxhall and Westminster gardenmuseum.org.uk/exhibitions/sowingroots/
As a South Londoner who is new to gardening this sounds right up my street! Any other gardening fans here? I’m currently in very early stages of tidying mine from the winter but hoping to grow some herbs and chillies this year as well as some plants that remind me of my holidays in the Caribbean

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TottersBlankly · 04/02/2022 09:32

Oh, yes - I think I read about this somewhere yesterday. Hope I’ll be able to get there before it ends. (I’m a former, and future, gardener - which is a sad state to be in.)

Recently attended a series of academic seminars on Caribbean art that included some really interesting observations on the place of gardening in wider political / artistic expression.

And, of course, having grown up hearing about family gardens deep in the Caribbean countryside I’ve always found the epithet ‘urban’ - previously applied to black British people - quite staggeringly laughable. (As well as exclusionary.)

TeaAddict235 · 05/02/2022 11:53

Thanks for the tip @PompomDahlia

I've always been an avid gardener, even before knowing that it was a thing. I grew up thinking that all people grew stuff in their gardens and set seeds to grow on their windowsills at home.

What have you got planned this year @PompomDahlia ? We are planning on sticking to what the kids will eat and what we have had success with of late: tomatoes, Mangold, lettuce, long beans, potatoes (the kids won't eat them but love harvesting them ), sweet corn and blackberries. I want to get my Sweetpea plant to spread too as it has a lovely scent. I trimmed my jasmine plant too severely more than a year ago, and it needs a lot of gentle attention this year. A good friend of mine gave me some bottles of organic liquid compost made from fungi (Kombucha??). Very exciting stuff! My dear darling grandparents would be very proud of me. I used to love "helping" them on their allotments in north London. Bless their souls.

Sorry that you are in that position @TottersBlankly , it must be frustrating, especially with Spring in the air. As a student in shared accommodation without a private garden, I remember being acutely aware that I was missing an important phase in the garden as spring approached. Is their a friend that you can help or share the garden care with? Maybe an aunt or uncle from church? Ask around, it would be a shared blessing.

tracyandjack · 24/02/2022 14:21

watching death in paradise on bbc makes me want to move to the caribbean and start gardening! Grin

TottersBlankly · 25/02/2022 09:50

Sorry that you are in that position @TottersBlankly, it must be frustrating, especially with Spring in the air.

It’s not too bad! I do get to interfere in other people’s gardens fairly often.

RedWingBoots · 25/02/2022 10:22

@TottersBlankly as a student and when I started working I ended up with lots of house plants - some of which migrated to communal areas. All my house mates and their guests were civilised enough not to meddle with them. Some of them asked and ended up with cuttings/divisions for their own bedrooms and shared housing.

Oh and you can grow salad leaves and chilli plants inside very easily if you have space near a window.

RedWingBoots · 25/02/2022 14:19

Someone's been reading this thread -
www.theguardian.com/environment/2022/feb/25/inside-london-windrush-gardens-caribbean-aoe

EchoNan · 16/04/2022 12:06

How's the planting going? I've only a little garden, so I've put tomatos in the hanging baskets. I must remember to water them regularly or they will be doomed.

I've been given some scotch bonnet and birdseye chilli seedlings. Do you think they will survive in pots on the patio? Or keep them indoors still for a while? Sun's out here, I'll be in the garden most of the day, great for your mental well being.( if lucky enough to have one)

PompomDahlia · 02/06/2022 12:12

Back here after a hiatus - the DIY and life have been keeping me busy. Enjoying leaning gardening. Unfortunately the garden doesn’t get as much sun as I hoped so I’ve had to curtail my plans for lots of tropical plants. I’ve got lots of dahlias started off though, an ornamental ginger and some tomatoes that are all doing well.

@EchoNan how are the chillies coming along?

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Maggiethecat · 03/06/2022 18:28

@PompomDahlia - I’m sitting in mine now wishing that I could sort it out!
Its neat but so boring! A few colourful flowers in pots and a patch with some broad beans planted, courgettes don’t seem to be doing well and waiting for strawberries to come up.

PompomDahlia · 05/06/2022 14:51

@Maggiethecat I'm waiting on my strawberries as well. It feels like we are still waiting for summer to kick in - suspect that's holding things up. My current favourites for colour are osteospermums so I have lots of those

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Maggiethecat · 05/06/2022 15:41

@PompomDahlia - had to look up those flowers, very pretty - they remind me of gerberas.

Ive done pansies and geraniums and looking at getting some begonia. I’m finding that supermarket plants can be cheaper than garden centres. Got 12 geraniums plants in a tray for £6 from Lidl and they look very good.

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