Urbanroots founder Scarlet Allenspach (34) has been leading the garden season since spring with her tips. He is now starting his new permaculture project with Son Selva in Mallorca, the property in the east of the Spanish island the size of three football fields. “It took us a week to clear the road, everything was covered with bushes,” he says.
Right now it’s still almost 25 degrees hot there, which makes working with the chainsaw even more tiring. Allenspach doesn’t mind, he likes to be involved: “It’s just a good feeling when you can see and feel what you’ve been doing all day in the evening.” A huge forest garden where everything can be eaten and used will be created on the site, as well as a house for living and another house for seminars.
After one night the tent is gone
Currently, there are only dried almond trees. “It was originally a plantation without any infrastructure,” says Allenspach. So there is no electricity, no water, no house – there are thieves. Allenspach spent the first night in a tent on his property, when he returned a day later it was all gone: “I wasn’t really expecting this, it’s a very peaceful land and hard to reach.” He left not only his sleeping bag in the tent, but also his new chainsaw and other work equipment. “Even the rings were gone!” He tries to take it with humor but doesn’t let that take his joy out of his project. “Thanks to the donations and my insurance, I was able to buy the chainsaw again.”
To a lifelong dream with a chainsaw
He is not discouraged by the event. “It took me so long to get this property and most of all I am grateful that it worked! The setbacks are part of that.” After signing the pre-sale contract, he had another 15 months before he finally got to the title deed. “In some cases this seems normal in Spain, but I almost didn’t believe it anymore,” he says. This makes planning difficult. For the first time, he fulfilled another heart’s wish: His name is Pino, he’s a border collie, and he’s been with him every step of the way since.
“I’ve wanted a dog for a long time, but definitely not in an apartment,” says Allenspach, who will split his life between Basel and Mallorca in the future. There are mainly agriculture and a large number of sheep around the site. Later, Allenspach also wants to buy chickens and ducks. But first comes the essentials: a water tank and solar power to provide basic infrastructure. “And maybe I’ll be able to plant a few more trees in the next two weeks.” Because unlike this country, the growth stage for plants doesn’t move much in the winter – summer heat when it rains.
Between Basel and Majorca
Allenspach will then return to Basel and his company Urbanroots will continue to operate at the same time. The vision behind it: Bringing more green to the city and showing gardeners how to green even a small piece of land. On her balcony, she shows how to garden according to the rules of permaculture: “It means you’re working together, not against nature.”
In Mallorca he could do this on a large scale in the future: “For me it’s like a huge playground where I can try anything.” Allenspach became acquainted with permaculture about seven years ago, and was immediately enthusiastic about the holistic method of cultivating as diversely as possible. “So, it’s the opposite of monocultures, as is pretty much everywhere in agriculture today.” This has several advantages because many plants enter into symbiosis and support each other. In addition, habitats for insects, birds and other wild animals are created, soil is renewed and water is conserved. And important: “In case of parasite infestation, the entire harvest is not attacked.”
playground for seminars
The first seminars will be held in Son Selva next fall and the overnight stay will be in safari tents. As the site is within an agricultural area, it cannot be used for tourism or development purposes – but can be used for courses. Allenspach organizes funding through crowdfunding using its social media presence, Son Selva has her own YouTube channel and you can follow and support her work on Instagram. Working as a Blick TV specialist also helped him a lot: “Now I know what to look for when shooting dramaturgically and technically.”
Starting next spring, Allenspach can be seen again as an expert on Blick TV, when he gives the community tips for the gardening year from the raised bed on the roof of the Ringier building. “Maybe with a few sections from Mallorca for larger gardens.”