Anyone who wishes they could grow their own fruit and vegetables, but believes they lack the green fingers or necessary space, should consider a trip to Leven and Dundee.
For the Fife town’s Centre community hub is set to host a series of inspiring events based around a structure being developed in the unlikely location of the venue’s car park.
It is one of 13 Unexpected Gardens appearing across Scotland. Dundee is another.
These pop-up constructions are part of Dandelion, an initiative aimed at encouraging folk to “sow, grow, share” their own produce.
Performers and artists, as well as scientists and makers, have devised a six-month programme of events over the spring and summer that includes two free outdoor festivals.
In turn, Dandelion arrives as the Scottish contribution to Unboxed, the UK-wide celebration of creativity backed by the UK and devolved governments, originally launched as Festival UK 2022.
Green spaces and story trails
Further events coming to Scotland include Green Space Dark Skies in the Cairngorms National Park and StoryTrails, a hi-tech history trail that arrives in Dundee this July.
Courier Country hosts two Unexpected Gardens designed to demonstrate how unused land can bloom.
Dundee’s disused Fairmuir Park bowling green site is to become an edible garden to allow locals to grow and share food, organised by the University of Dundee, Creative Dundee and the City Council.
The Fife-based project is proceeding under the stewardship of The Leven Programme that helps improve the environment around the river of that name.
Its team have been collaborating with local organisations to design the garden, inspired partly by the under-construction Levenmouth rail link, set to reopen a branch line to the town.
The plan even includes reusing parts from the old disused railway to build interactive and sensory features alongside a stage and seating area for performances.
Vertical growing concepts
Moreover, the garden will use vertical growing concepts to make best use of the space, Leven Programme creative producer Naomi D’Cruz explains.
“After community consultation, we have designed a space that retains parking and we will optimise the top end of the car park for growing,” she says.
“It is a multifunctional space, certainly not your ordinary car park. It is important for us to add a new lease of life to a concrete environment.
Reimagining the railway
“Our concept re-imagines the railway on a miniature scale, its reopening in Leven is bringing a sense of hope to the area. We want to encourage as much innovation as possible, whilst also meeting the needs of the community.”
Ultimately, though, the garden is about growing food for local residents to enjoy, much of which will be handed over to the non-profit organisation People’s Pantry based at the Centre that redistributes surplus food.
Naomi also explains the garden will feature sound as well as striking visuals, with each garden paired with musicians to compose bespoke accompaniments for events. Leven’s collaborators are multi-instrumentalist Tom Oakes and fiddle player Dan Nicholson.
“They will lead community workshops and hopefully create a new piece of work to be presented at the culminating harvest festival,” she says.
“Tom and Dan have an interest in exploring ideas or issues around growing, climate crisis and culture that matter to the people living in the Levenmouth area, and that will be reflected in their work.”
A free for all
With building of the Leven garden due to begin in the last week of April, organisers aim to unveil the space at the end of May in time for its event programme that includes Free For All on 5 June.
Here, Dandelion promises to give away of seeds and plant plugs to show anyone can grow stuff, no matter how little space they have, accompanied by a Flower Singer installation and performances.
Leven is also due a visit by one of Dandelion’s innovative miniature vertical farms, known as Cubes of Perpetual Light, as is Dundee’s V&A in June, and the programme finishes in September with a harvest festival.
Weekend festivals
Elsewhere, Dandelion features two weekend festivals with artists performing from a 10-metre tall stage decorated with living plants, the Pavilion of Perpetual Light.
Devised by the team behind Celtic Connections, led by its artistic director Donald Shaw, the Glasgow leg in June features Newton Faulkner and Admiral Fallow.
For more information visit dandelion.scot
