Page 6 - I-Plants Magazine Issue 8 - Summer '21

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MOVABLE FEAST

Food. I love food. I remember watching the film ‘Flamingo Kid’ (if

anyone remembers that far back) and there’s a scene in there where

Matt Dillon “hmmms” (or maybe we’d say “noms” now) his way

through a meal as he’s eating. That’s me.

ByVanessa Champion
W ell maybe not quite, and also I bles, fruit and herbs around the town of Tod-

don’t try to eat the soaps from
morden in the north of England that are free for
the bathroom thinking they are
chocolate (just in case anyone is everyone to share. Volunteers and the community
itself look after the gardens and share the bounty
thinking of asking me to tea), but I once they all come into season. It’s a great idea.
do enjoy good food!
I have a challenge for you to make an Edible Take-
One delight this year for me was growing my own away this month. Pots are ideal for this. You can
potatoes and onions. I hasten to add this wasn’t my move them around and create different views too,
choice. I ran to their rescue before they were about which from an environmental psychology point
to be thrown into the compost by a friend. So armed of view is also great. Having a row of pots which
with four large potato pots and five buckets for create a little zoned haven in your garden, maybe
the onions I reignited my love of growing my own. rows of beans on sticks to create a “shield” for you
In terms of psychology, nurturing something is an to sit beside. Even better if they are peas, you can
incredibly positive experience for our grey matter. It sit there with a beer and pick fresh peas without
alleviates symptoms of dementia, reduces aggres- getting up from your chair! How about dwarf fruit
sion, depression and anxiety. trees which can also create a bit of shade. In Bio-
philic Design we talk about “prospect and refuge”,
Not only that I had the best potato salad which creating spaces where you feel sheltered by but
I mixed with fresh chives and spring onions. All also have a view out, so sitting nestled under
homegrown in pots just outside my door. I can’t some trees with a view onto a water feature would
begin to explain the joy that gave me. I’m sure there be super good in terms of peace and mental
was a dopamine rush somewhere! refreshment.
Make an Edible Takeaway Travelling without Moving

Most readers here will be aware of the issue of This past year and a half have been challenging on
Food Security. It’s the focus of one of the many fronts, not least by not being able to
United Nations Sustainable Goals travel freely, and even if we can there’s
which focuses on Zero Hunger. always the shadow of the carbon
Food Security means that footprint we leave every time
everyone, all over the world, has we step onto a plane. So how
access to enough food to keep about if we could have a time
them healthy, and that the machine or a TARDIS to whizz
food they eat does not put a us to different places whenev-
strain on our planet. In other er we wanted without leaving
words, creating a secure food our home. We might dream of
source. bringing Italy to our kitchen, or
France into our sitting room?
Here in the UK there is a great How about stepping into India
project which is “Incredible Edible every time we come home and walk
Todmorden”, where they grow vegeta- through the front door?

6 Making The New Normal Better!