| BioRegional's
local lavender revival project is on the move – the cart last
seen at popular pick your own days in Carshalton last summer is
making an appearance at Wallington’s local farmers market
on Saturday November 10th 2001.
The cart will be selling bottles
of pure essential oil distilled from Carshalton’s own lavender
- just what we need in the winter. The natural and versatile oil
can be used for relaxing baths and massage, as an aid to sleep or
simply as a fragrance. Why not give it as a Christmas present which
not only smells beautiful but also lets others share in the interesting
heritage of South London.
Come along and meet with BioRegional
staff and volunteers; Debbie, Roger, Trevor and Pooran who will
be pleased to tell the story of South London’s 100 year heritage
of lavender growing and how the project has revived traditional
Lavender varieties which have, for the past 3 years, been flowering
on formerly disused land in Carshalton Beeches.
Since the project began in 1994
lavender has increasingly been used as a symbol of South London’s
heritage and identity; in Wallington lavender has sprung up in the
form of a sculpture, Christmas lights and a pub even re-branded
itself with lavender. The community has taken an active role in
the harvesting; the planting, cultivation and propagation was made
possible through a partnership with HMP Downview, with some prisoners
undertaking environmental work.
So if you need rejuvenating after
a hard week at work, are interested in finding out more about South
London’s lavender heritage or just fancy pampering yourself
and your friends, come along to the farmers market - just let your
nose guide you!
Notes
The main site from which the lavender
is harvested is Stanley Road Allotments which before cultivation
was disused and overgrown, the project was a way of bringing it
back in to use – with a knock on benefits for other allotment
users as weed species diminished.
Around 1900, blue fields of lavender
could be seen all over Wallington, Carshalton, Beddington, Waddon
and Sutton, in South London. Lavender was used for scented bags,
floor and furniture washes, as a disinfectant, to preserve linen
from moths and for remedies.
Yardley have sponsored the project
for past 2 years, and the lavender was harvested for distillation
by a new harvester which was funded by a National Grid Community
21 Award and the Heritage Lottery fund.
|
