About TOPS

Tatnam Organic Patch is a community garden and organic allotment, in Poole, Dorset,  England.

Great comment from a visitor May 2015

Harriet and Marcos planting seed

The patch is a thriving community organic allotment, and an urban haven for wildlife, with many plants and trees introduced to raise the biodiversity of, in particular, butterflies and moths. The Organic Allotment area is a shared resource, with a membership of around 16 people, and 18 raised ‘no-walk’ beds, about 3 metres long by 1 metre wide. The width is designed to allow the centre to be reached without treading on the beds.

Over the years we have tried different techniques, the fixed boarding around the beds proved an irresistable hiding place for slugs, so we moved to removable boards, and now just banked earth. We have attempted to embrace permaculture techniques, and acted as a resource both for primary school visits, and for permaculture courses.

We have developed with our site since 1998. This is a triangular piece of land bordering St. Mary’s catholic church, and Tatnam Farm allotments in Oakdale, Poole. When the church was built, it was left fallow, and the brambles took over. We had to cut our way in to open the gate, and kept on cutting right across the site !

The site was a sea of brambles, 8 feet high

Tatnam Patch is proud to have been adopted in 2009 as a Land Project, under the Permaculture Association Land Project scheme, a permaculture learning and demonstration network supported by online services and information.

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TOP is a Permaculture Association Land Demonstration Network Site