Meet garden apprentice, Lewis!
Once a 27 year old multi-disciplinary designer, from south east London, a problem solver with an avid building enthusiasm for horticulture, I now find myself playing a part in the story that is Fulham Palace, as garden apprentice.
Having taken a break from the design industry, I came to the realisation that my interests were far more environmentally led, with a focus on rediscovering my connection with and the fundamental importance of nature and the community. Striving to attain my ambition to ultimately be self-sustainable – this lead me to acquiring the relevant horticultural knowledge to begin growing, propagating and maintaining a diverse range of organic seasonal produce and other wild flora in my garden in Nunhead, South East London, that I am currently in the process of designing.
Volunteering at Walworth Garden, a small thriving charity community oasis in Southwark, gave me the platform, knowledge and experience to successfully apply and fulfil my current position here at the Palace.
A month has passed in what feels like a week. From planting Narcissus interim in the apple orchard, to autumn plant identifications and mowing the lawns with the ride on Iseki – a daily reconnection with nature is burgeoning and a sense of liberation mounting.
Community engagement & intervention is heavily entwined in the foundational workings of both the Palace and garden – working alongside 50 volunteers already I feel more connected here in the borough than my local Lewisham – social interaction really can play a role in a sense of belonging.
From the fens of Lincolnshire, my birthplace and family home, to the country home of the Bishop of London, a journey realigned, someone once told me there is no such thing as a coincidence.