The Second Harvest - Autum Equinox Gathering

At the Autumn Equinox, the Wayward Plants Reuse Centre at Cultivate Colindale brings together plants, food, timber, clay, objects, seeds, materials and skills that have been overlooked or discarded, exploring how they can be cared for, transformed and returned to circulation. The gathering marks the first autumn at the Wayward Plants Reuse Centre, a new space dedicated to rescuing and rehoming plants and landscape materials and experimenting with how resources can be kept in circulation. Wayward Plants shares the story behind the establishment of the Reuse Centre and opens a collective conversation around plant rescue: Have you ever rescued a plant? Has a plant ever rescued you? Across the site, a growing community of designers, makers and organisations explores different forms of reuse and exchange. Designer-in-Residence Parisa Aziz Shamami of UCL Bio-ID shares her research transforming waste wool and other local waste streams into biodegradable materials for growing, exploring how waste can become a resource for plants and soil. Rescued Clay marks the beginning of its new home at Cultivate Colindale, establishing a space for collecting and recirculating waste clay and inviting visitors to explore the possibilities of rescued material through a hands-on workshop. Energy Garden leads a DIY solar workshop exploring how renewable energy can be generated and owned locally, and the social, environmental and economic possibilities of community energy. Designer Yahvi Duggal of Peel Studio builds an evolving communal loom throughout the day, weaving surplus yarns and gathered natural materials into a collective, site-responsive work, while designer Yuyu Lin leads a playful clay workshop for children. The Second Harvest culminates in a communal harvest meal and music, bringing everyone together around the table. More than a traditional harvest festival, The Second Harvest celebrates the abundance around us and asks how design, growing, making, repair and exchange can give overlooked resources another life.