Thinking inside the (grow)box
Manchester is a great city. Industrial heritage, urban grit and recent regeneration have combined to make it a hip 'n happening place to be. But there are no two ways about it: it's not a city known for its green spaces. The closest thing to resemble a park within half a mile of Ancoats is actually a canal basin. Step outside, and you're on the dusty inner ring road. Step a little further, and you're onto a patchwork of surface level car parks on the footprint of long-gone factories, extending nearly to the foot of Piccadilly. And yet, amidst the urban decay, there is a real green treasure. Bordered by trees on one side and rubbly car park on another are NQ Growboxes. Some planted with neatly dotted veggies, others almost hidden under sprawling lavender and sage, these dozen or so metre high raised beds are a little haven in the city. They've been on my radar since I moved to Manchester, and I immediately asked to sign up for one. Typically, there was a...