It is gardened by individuals, but done for the pleasure of all. And pounds 12,000 seems a cheap way for Islington Council to fix the patch. They'd pay three times as much to garden it under council tender, as public parks are. I asked Ken Standing, chairman of Culpepper's management committee, how Islington's grant was spent. Most of it is used to pay a garden worker, Nicola Reynolds, who looks after the bits between the plots and, by her presence, cuts down on the vandalism that is a constant irritation.
Some money is needed to repair paths and fences.
Some was spent on the sturdy compost bins that stand behind the community hut. There's no vetting of members. Anybody who lives nearby can ask for a plot. as long as they do not have a garden. Mr. Standing said they had Italian gardeners, Spanish and Portuguese. That explained why there were so many good vegetables there.