iiinova — where your digital self keeps evolving

Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Slowly processing the brilliance of 'walking: thinking in motion' symposium in Basel last weekend. Funded by the Lucius & Annemarie Burckhardt stiftung it brought together a fantastic group of artists/architects/urban planners/public space folks. As one participant noted, the best kind of nerds! 🚶‍♀️🏙️

The drag kuh 'soya' on their walkabout holzpark Basel in search of empathy with more than human lives

Clare Qualmann and Clementine Butler-Gallie 's perambulator walk, testing the terrain for walking with children

Artist Alona Rodeh leading a nightwalk exploring technologies, histories and cultural associations of lighting

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 18/09/2026

Desperately sad news of the untimely death of the brilliant artist & theatre maker Jadzé Maravala www.instagram.com/p/DdJrhj5DpC... I worked with Jadzé, she was my friend, & I was privileged to experience many of the works she made with ZUUK. We always think there's more time, but the time is now 😔

A black and white picture of Jadzé with the text in loving memory of Jadzé 1970-2026

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 03/09/2026

Brilliant day at Whitechapel Gallery yesterday, final event in our 'Walking! Power! Inclusion!' programme. With the wonderful Demolition project (Debbie Kent & Alisa Oleva), Manal Massalha, Saira Niazi, @thelrm.bsky.social & Lorna Powell. Discussions on public space, the right to the city, access 🚶‍♀️🏙️

A fortune teller made from a map with the word Liverpool Street visible on the outer face

Alisa Oleva and Debbie Kent with their demolition map of London, post it notes marking the sites that participants have identified for radical change

Hand holding two villages badges with renaissance painting backgrounds, one has the words queer/queer and the other Marxist literary criticism

An installation view of the gallery with a screen showing film footage of a walk with Clare Qualmann and Manal Massalha, two sofas and a green table spread with walking books and leaflets

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 02/09/2026

It's the start of my 17th academic year UEL (!!) &I'm having a moment of reflection on stuff that I've been privileged to be part of. Starting near the beginning, 1/17 is The Artist in the Library, 2012 a student project & symposium (shorturl.at/OU34g) & an article (shorturl.at/o0cYd) ...

a soft white nest made from cloth installed in a corner of a library with a woman wearing red sitting in the nest. A shelf unit to one side is covered in drinks and snacks, and there are books on the floor. Photo by Sarah Ainslie, or Corrin Castell's installation 'nest' 2012 at the University of East London's Docklands Library.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

4. Food: one bar, captive audience... The paella looked homemade but the pizza was frozen. Still, not too bad at 12eur. 3.5/5 5. Cleanliness: love love the Donostia toilets, showers, foot wash points everywhere 5/5 Total score 22.5 Kids say this is their favourite swim of the holiday (so far)

Two kids standing on the edge of a harbour wall about to jump into the water. One is wearing a blue rubber ring. A person is swimming in the water behind them, and another harbour wall with people standing on it is in the distance

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 28/08/2026

Today's swim Donostia/San Sebastian, from the Isla Santa Clara. 1. Setting: in the bay of la concha beautiful 5/5 2. Value for money: 5 eur ferry to get there, saw loads of people swim or sup across 4/5 3. Fun factor: jumping off the harbour wall isn't banned, but supported with life guards! 5/5..

The harbour wall at Isla Santa Clara in San Sebastian

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 17/08/2026

Moving on to Paris, today's swim was at the Bassin de la Villette, a free summer city swim venue. 🚶‍♀️🏙️🏊

Three swimming pools on the edge of a canal with trees alongside and boats in the distance

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 14/08/2026

No swim spot, but a foot-cooling dip in the river Itter today. Setting: 5/5 Value for money: free 5/5 Fun factor: climbing trees, stepping stones, but kids say only 2.5/5 Food: blackberries galore 4.5/5 (on the small side) Cleanliness: looks idyllic, but some rubbish lurking in the water 3/5 20/25

A shallow stream with stepping stones across it, a field on the other side half in sunlight with large trees in the background. A muddy river bank in the foreground

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 13/08/2026

Today's swim plan was the Naturfreibad in Mettmann. Lovely looking natural water pools, slide, dive platform, beach& loads of space. Bargain 5 eur/3.50. BUT although it's only 7km away, there's only 1 bus p/h & takes an hour to get there? No way in this heat! Repeat trip to the Waldbad instead.

Screenshot of the Naturfreibad Mettmann website with an image of the natural water pools with a long blue water slide and grass in the foreground

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

there are extensive grassy areas shaded by tall oak and pine trees, a playground, table tennis, table football, picnic benches and a cafe. It's EUR 6.70 for adults 3.50 for kids (under 4 free) and you can stay all day for that, 11am -6pm (!)

A satellite view of the Waldbad showing the forest and the four pools

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 12/08/2026

Today's swim was at the Waldbad, near Hilden, Germany. It's a municipal pool, open in the summer season, in a totally gorgeous setting of mature forest, it's easily reached by bus from Hilden or Haan (or by bike or car). Alongside the 4 pools (diving, swimming lengths, slide/fun, baby splash)...

The wald bad near Hilden with large trees all around, grassy area and umbrellas around the baby splash pool.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 07/06/2026

The cherries are really early this year in my neighborhood, but still managed to get a pretty good haul this morning #UrbanForaging #EatHackney #EastEndJam 🚶‍♀️🏙️🍒

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 12/05/2026

Fabulous chestnut tree in Abbotts Barton, Winchester, for #ThickTrunkTuesday

A very large chestnut tree just coming into leaf, with smaller shoots growing from the base of a very thick trunk.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 10/05/2026

Under @labouruk.bsky.social control @hackneycouncil.bsky.social was pretty decent, with excellent councillors & progressive policies BUT national government's obsession with anti immigration action, genocide inaction, anti trans health (etc) is too much. Glad to see a swing to @greenparty.org.uk

A screenshot of the local election results for hackney council showing 42 green councillors elected (+40) and 9 labour councillors elected (-41)

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 19/04/2026

Our air pollution defence planter looking fab with forget me not, lung wort, and bugle weed all in flower #WildFlowerHour

A wooden planter with green leafy mint, light blue forget me not, blue and pink lung wort, purple bugle weed and orange calendula all in flower

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 12/04/2026

3 wild foods that are perfect to eat (in London) right now... Garlic mustard, linden leaves, nettles, yum! #UrbanForaging #EastEndJam #WildFood remember to pick responsibly and double check identification B4 eating 🚶‍♀️🏙️🌱

Garlic mustard plants looking through a wire fence with small white flowers starting to show

A hand holding young Linden leaves with the bark of the tree trunk in the background

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

Woop woop! New publication with the brilliant #WalkCreate team 'creative walking, repetition, rhythm and respite in pandemic times' in a new volume on walking and leisure. So many fab looking chapters. But it's £££ so get your library to buy (or DM if you'd like to read the chapter) 🚶‍♀️🏙️🏞️

The cover of the book walking and leisure: mobilities, encounters and critical engagements edited by Miriam Snellgrove

Chapter title page of creative walking, repetition, rhythm and respite in pandemic times by Clare Qualmann, Deirdre Heddon, Maggie O'Neill, Morag Rose and Harry Wilson

Contents page with chapters including: where is the leisure when walking with a baby?, disabled mobilities and critical embodied entanglements in the park, the
Queer politics of walking with digital technologies, race, nature and historical memory, the role of the erotic in black women's leisure

Contents continues including: walking with cancer, walking and stopping together in the carceral landscape of Portland, walking with a cat, storying a place through walking, the importance of everyday walking routines for aging well in place, walking in the spatial order of automobility, reimagining the city walking tour, walking as a sociopolitical form of transforming civic experience

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 11/04/2026

The mahonia at the community garden are ripe, so the kids made juice, super tasty, but needed sugar #UrbanGrowing #Hackney #CityGarden 🚶‍♀️🏙️🌱

A child with hands stained purple holding a white cup of mahonia berries

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

Sorry that should be old castle street! During the heyday of the purpose built space I was privileged to undertake a research residency, exploring the collections in relation to the history of the former wash houses, with a project called #SpinningStories spinningstories.wordpress.com

A drawing of instructions for hanging out washing from the papers of Ethel Robson

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 04/04/2026

PSA for anyone attempting to get to Tremenheere sculpture garden on foot... Do not follow Google! You cannot walk along the Longrock bypass, & you cannot cross it at the marked point, unless you have a death wish/no children with you. #Cornwall #CarFree #FamilyAdventure #walking

Google maps screenshot showing a route along a dual carriageway that is impossible to cross

This is the so called crossing point... A gap in the hedge and a gap in the central reservation. The cars are doing 70mph. We almost gave up.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 03/04/2026

An adder zipping off the coast path at Hayle yesterday 🐍! Can you spot it? Making a perfect s shape.

A grassy sandy path with a small adder making an s shape with it's body as it flees

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 28/03/2026

Hey not sure what happened to this! I just paid £5+ for a 12 minute lime ride in hackney... I would have bought a pass, but I thought there was a borough cap? Anyone know if it's actually running? @hackneycyclist.bsky.social

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 21/03/2026

Got up for the sunrise yesterday at hackney marshes, a beautiful new gathering building there over a couple of years. 'we don't know what this is' just invites people to come, hang out, wait for the sun, notice the changing season ☀️ 🌅🏙️🚶‍♀️

A group of people gathered on frosty grass, with trees in the distance and the sun starting to rise

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 23/02/2026

Shh! Jeanne Claude and Christo have been making secret artworks on the streets of Hackney.

A grey London residential street with a large lumpy item on the pavement. It is wrapped in a silver tarp and bound with green string.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 13/02/2026

Pre Valentine's day scenes in #hackney... Would love to know the story behind this?! The steak is best before the 17th? Why why is it in the street? And with the Viagra? Maybe it's the opening scene of a novel?

A plastic wrapped steak labelled best before 17th Feb. Lying on the pavement with some handwritten notes and an empty box of viagra

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 11/02/2026

Today's adventure in transporting stuff by bike... A free eames chair off the local what's app group (!) brought home in my trailer #carfree #hackney #cycling #urbantravel 🚶‍♀️🏙️🚲

A red upholstered aluminium frame eames office chair strapped into a bike trailer

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 09/02/2026

Great to see another WalkCreate article out: 'Cripping Desire Lines' discusses the impact of Covid-19 on disabled people’s experiences of walking in the UK. Our data comes from covid times, but with loads of ongoing, pressing relevance! and it's open access journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/...

a composite image of walking art works in a grid format with a face behind cow parsly flowers, people standing in a line holding leaves, a person wearing headphones in a dark street with lights in the houses behind, a person in a green dress lying on rocks on a beach, a person climbing a staircase carrying a suitcase, two people standing by large boulders and a person jumping high into the air in woods with bare-branches trees behind

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

Beautiful moonrise over the Regent's canal tonight. January's super moon is looking 💫

A view of a canal with a pink sky reflected in it, buildings to either side and an almost full moon rising. Birds sit on the water, and people are walking on a towpath to the left.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

In the words of the drawing I made in 2008 (part of a series that put together texts from pizza flyers and religious leaflets) It is time to rewrite our destiny...

A pencil drawing of the words 'it is time to rewrite our destiny' in Gothic script

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 01/01/2026

An old drawing from my studio, part of a 2008 series that combined texts from pizza flyers with religious leaflets. The message holds though! #ItIsTimeToRewriteOurDestiny

A pencil drawing of the text 'it is time to rewrite our destiny' in Gothic script

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 30/12/2025

Well that took longer than expected... But glad to repurpose favourite old #komodo linen trousers to patch and line with. #MendingSpree #repair #sewing

A royal blue dressing gown repaired with a patterned linen added as a trim around the neck and sleeves, and in panels over the shoulders

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 29/12/2025

Time for my annual #MendingSpree ! Instead of buying stuff in the post holiday sales, why not spend some time repairing things you already own? I got the sewing machine out and started with this beloved dressing gown today. #MakeDoAndMend #repair

A sewing machine foot with light grey stitching patching a hole on blue threadbare fabric.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 26/12/2025

Something about winter woods always conjures up @conniewillisdotnet.bsky.social Doomsday book, especially the green of holly in amongst the bare trees.

A view across a wooded valley with a few orange beech leaves still on the lower branches and the green of holly in the background.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Son's set up in the cellar at my partner's parents is a bit #DuvetKnowItsChristmas... There is a small window, and plenty of tools/DIY equipment hand. Disappointed by the lack of taxidermy....

An airbed set up in a cellar surrounded by storage shelves and cupboards.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

What a privilege to visit the #KolbHalle artist community in Koeln before it's forced move in the new year. Since 1989 it's been running as an artist led initiative in this extraordinary former factory space. Thanks to #MaschaRodigina for the tour.

A double height industrial space with a balcony running across it, steel beams and glass paneled roof. Large plants on the floor and balcony, and a foam sculpture of a house. Paintings in the background.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 24/12/2025

Enjoying this sign encouraging children to walk to school in Haan, Germany. But also finding the walking experience slightly challenging with some narrow pavements, pavement parking and what feels like high speed driving. Few pedestrians out & about (but it is Christmas). 🚶‍♀️🏙️🚸

A large sign with the text 'wir wollen gehen! Zu fuß statt elterntaxi ' which roughly translates as 'we want to go on for not by parent taxi ' with a picture of two children walking to school. The kids t shirts have the text 'ich bin schon groß' and 'wir schaffen das alleine' translates as 'i am already big' and 'we can do it ourselves'.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 27/11/2025

Had a beautiful walk around UEL's Stratford campus yesterday, exploring plants and chalking their names. Strong animal the coming through with bristly oxtongue, horse weed, chick weed, colts foot and sow thistle. #CreativeWalking #UrbanNature

Horse weed growing out of a wall with it's name chalked below it

A group of people holding up red copies of the walk book with a fern and yellow corydalis in the background

A groundsel plant growing in the crack between a tiled wall and hard pavement

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 09/11/2025

Dug a hole, planted a little tree in it. So warm for November, but hoping it settles in well over the winter (it's a mulberry, will prune to keep it bushy)

A large hole in a small garden with a hedge of jasmine and honeysuckle behind it. A spade with a blue handle is stuck in a heap of soil

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 29/10/2025

Love my borough, #hackney and it's flag waving response. Celebrating black history season, and standing against racism, hate and division. #UnityinDiversity #BlackHistoryMonth @hackneycvs.bsky.social

A tree full of the flags of African and Caribbean nations

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 28/09/2025

Laughing out loud with my kids seeing this sign 'amendment'. Building 'plot' for sale £700k +... (It's a tiny scrap of land in between two houses). Welcome to London E8 🥴

A sign that said building plot for sale where the word plot has been edited to say plop instead, and a poo emoji has been drawn next to it. It also says with planning consent for 3 bedroom house, principles only. Offers over £700k all enquiries email Navarinoe8@gmail.com

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 21/09/2025

Today's car free adventure, taking a load of stuff to sell on the neighbourhood jumble sale trail #carfree #hackney #cycling #urbantravel 🚶‍♀️🌇🚴

A bike trailer loaded up full of boxes, bags and with a tray of plants on top

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 12/08/2025

London folks! 2 upcoming walks on 5th and 6th September as part of #UEL's creative industries festival (check out the whole programme) in collaboration with youth guides from #TheLine both free, but book here: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/creative-i...

A green left background with yellow text that says walk/create along the long. Art, heritage and nature, Saturday 6th September 10am free a picture of the walkbook with a red cover and logos for uel, the line and Newham heritage month

An image of docks with high rise buildings in the background and the text walk/create dockside from uel to art in the docks Friday 5th September at 12.30pm free and the logos of the line, uel and Newham heritage month

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 23/07/2025

A beautiful day of plums: picking them, eating them, pickling them, jamming them communally. #hackney #UrbanForaging #communitygarden #EastEndJam 🚶‍♀️🌇🌱

Three large bowls of plums, yellow, red and purple

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 10/07/2025

No fruit in the flat this morning, so I nipped out and gathered some plums! That's how brilliant living in hackney (pretty central-ish London) is #UrbanForaging #FreeFood #Hackney 🚶‍♀️🌇🍎🌱

A plum tree with green foliage and small purple plums

A tub with little red plums and plum stones

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 07/07/2025

Brilliant introductory day with #TheLine youth guides, introducing #WalkingArt and #CreativeWalking along the public sculpture trail through royal docks and Greenwich. Can't wait to work with them again tomorrow, & through the summer 🚶‍♀️🌇

A table with a copy of the walkbook, recipes for walking and wellbeing, and the line map, along with small squares of paper with texture rubbings on them

A person writing in chalk on a wooden balustrade with the London cable car and the river Thames in the background

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

The 'encounters' are hosted by the University of Western Macedonia, who have an artistic research station in the village of Psarades. With Clementine Butler-Gallie and Athanasia Tziona I curated a strand of the encounters with & for children.

Children gathered around a table drawing and painting bear related imagery after a walk exploring human-bear relations, and a visit to see a bear skeleton found in the forest near the village.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

An extraordinary place; bears, wolves & lynx in the forests, Dalmatian pelicans on the lake. Medieval cave churches dotted around the lake with beautiful painted interiors, reachable only by boat. borders with Albania & North Macedonia are hard, with locals careful not to cross the water boundaries.

The painted interior of a cave church, with Byzantine style figure of Christ surrounded by angels

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 06/07/2025

Such a privilege to spend time by lake Prespa last week, taking part in the international #WalkingArt encounters. Shocking to see how much the lake has receded since my first visit in 2019.

A lake scene with forested hills in the background and a boat on the water with a giant puppet in it. In the foreground the lake shore with white rocks and green plants.

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Clare Qualmann @cqualmann.bsky.social · 23/06/2025

The poly tunnel at the community garden is looking amazing. The tomatoes grew a foot last week 🌱🌇🌞 #UrbanFood #CommunityGrowing #GardenOfEarthlyDelights

A poly tunnel with tomato plants growing almost to the top, lush green with red and yellow nasturtium flowers

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