| BioRegional’s
heritage reviving, Local Lavender project in south London will be
throwing its field open to the public on the weekends of July 27th-28th
and August 3rd-4th 2002. Families and fans of lavender will be invited
to pick their own lavender from the community project’s fourth
harvest, sponsored by Yardley London and developed on formerly disused
allotments.
The scheme is a unique collaboration
between environmental organisation BioRegional, HM Prison Downview
and the London Borough of Sutton. The award-winning Local Lavender
project is reviving the once famous lavender fields of the Carshalton
area of London, the “lavender capital of the world”
around 1900. The area helped companies such as Yardley build an
international reputation in perfumery and bath luxuries. Around
1900, blue fields of Lavender could be seen all over Wallington,
Carshalton, Beddington, Waddon and Sutton. Lavender was used for
scented bags, floor and furniture washes, as a disinfectant, to
preserve linen from moths, and for remedies. Lavender was also used
in recipes such as lavender jam, honey and custard.
The harvest has been a popular
attraction over the past 3 years with the flower crop growing larger
every year. Last year an ingenious harvesting solution was found
in the form of a small scale “Heritage Harvester”. The
fabulous contraption was custom built from scrap and recycled materials
by an engineering team from Cranfield University, led by Dr James
Brighton, consultant engineer to Channel 4’s "Scrap-heap
Challenge” and “Junkyard Wars". The harvester will
be making a much-needed reappearance this year too. Harvested lavender
will be distilled into pure essential oil that can be used for aromatherapy
or relaxing scents.
The Lavender project has its roots
in a long-term collaboration with local prison HMP Downview. Cuttings
of the traditional varieties of the area were collected from the
public and grown in an ambitious horticulture project within the
prison, providing prisoners with useful skills. Once ready for planting,
after two or three years, prisoners on day-release helped BioRegional
staff clear and plant up disused allotments.
Other lavender attractions include
lavender cookie tasting, oil distillation demonstrations, wildlife
talks, BBQ, Aromatherapists, lavender arts and crafts and local
artists at work. So come along to the open days to pick your own
lavender and see the scrap heap harvester in action. BioRegional
staff will be present to discuss the fascinating, historic industry
that once swathed the area in fields of blue. Pure essential oil
distilled from last years crop will be available and can also be
purchased by mail order.
Notes
The Heritage Harvester was specially designed
to harvest narrow rows of lavender without damaging the plants,
and demonstrates good re-use of materials from second-hand agricultural
machines, a rotator and a quad bike.
Since the projects conception
lavender has become part of the local identity, with lavender Christmas
lights, appearances in local plays and parades, and sponsorship
by Yardley London.
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