Purple Patch Sisters, 2023 - ongoing

“There’s something magical here.”

Many feel it but only few can explain why they feel that way when they come to Purple Patch. Some say it’s because of the tunnels you have to go through to come here. Others the small lane that follows what's left of the old river and the mystical ‘boiling well’.

I too felt the magic, the first time I came as a volunteer, and something kept bringing me back. I realised later that it was the sisters I’d found.

Growing here is an enchanted practice and as much about creating kin as feeding local people. Flowers are grown, bountiful to feed the soul. The orchard makes sweet apple juice for the yearly harvest fair. Here the land is rich and a source of inspiration and stories. It helps people to rest and get nurtured.

But growing is tough. Especially with the ever changing climate, forcing unpredictable weather. Yet, what I wanted to show was the sanctuary and safe place created by the women.

The selected photos exude a somewhat delicate and ethereal atmosphere which contrast with the idea we have of farming. This is not a traditional garden but rather an attempt to create a sustainable and sensitive growing practice. The women growers are also artists and activists and seek something else through this practice: a sense of connection to the land, kinship and beauty.

To the sisters I found: Alex, Candice, Delphine, Hannah, Jules, Lydia, Steph, V, Valérie