O/T - Community Garden. A request for some advice...

[The Large One]

The corner junction near our house was, until recently, a 120ft wide old coach turning circle, with no pavement on one side. It was pretty dangerous.

The residents petitioned the council to narrow the junction, hence widening the pavement, and the council agreed to do the work. It meant we had a 50ft wide pavement/pedestrian area, so the council asked the community what they'd like done with that area, and a community garden was the most popular answer. The council then built a raise bed of around 30ft by 20ft and filled it with soil, and have now left the community to grow what it likes.

So this Friday we're having a little bit of a do to 'open' the plot for people to come and see what's going on. We've had many ideas, including herbs, flowers and vegetables, but what we're short of is on-going expertise. We've got Brighton & Hove Food Partnership involved, plus people from one or two other community gardens across the city, but knowing NSC is a haven for keen gardeners, we were wondering if anyone could impart some advice.

Better still, if you're in the area, feel free to come along to the corner of Stanford Avenue and Cleveland Road on Friday afternoon and fill us with wisdom.

 

[Hillian1]

Good luck with this, I do wish we could do something similar up here in The Hill, but our local cherubs would destroy it in weeks.

 

[The Large One]

Good luck with this, I do wish we could do something similar up here in The Hill, but our local cherubs would destroy it in weeks.

Cheers. It's a fear around here too, but I have a certain amount of faith in our local community.

Put it this way, I feel it's wrong not to give it a go.

 

[TWOCHOICEStom]

Although I've no idea what conditions are needed for them to grow - a herb garden would be great. Imagine nipping to the end of the road for some fresh Rosemary for the roast dinner!


Edit: or ofcourse you could just grow it in your kitchen... But I like the idea a lot!

 

[The Andy Naylor Fan Club]

Bevendean now has a community garden. It is only a year or two since opening and when I pass it whilst walking the dog, it continues to grow and mature. One day I may prop up some courage and ask to join ( as we live in a flat, i have no gardening experience at all ). There are always different faces doing jobs in the garden and yesterday a class of six/seven year olds had a tour and were having fun while learning. So I can only assume that the community aspect is working very well. If you Google Bevendean Community Garden there are some pages of info, photographs and contacts. Who knows, they may be willing to pop along and give you some good advice. Good luck.

 

[turienzo's lovechild]

on the topic of community gardens, i can't BELIEVE that the building that replaced the lewes road one is STILL empty

 

[Muzzy]

I'd love to help you but not around this Friday.

If I can be of any help in the future then I'd be pleased to assist you.

Visit my Facebook page and feel free to post for advice on there, I'm sure my followers would gladly answer any questions. Find me at The Allotment Shed

Great idea to get the community involved in a project like this. I wish you well

 

[Tricky Dicky]

Good luck with this, I do wish we could do something similar up here in The Hill, but our local cherubs would destroy it in weeks.

That would be my first thought too, months of work undone by some tosser in 5 seconds on the way home from the pub. Thinking like this shouldn't really put us off doing things though, I guess.

 

[Was not Was]

Well, there's no guarantee that local ne'er-do-wells will leave alone, but this sort have thing has been really successful in Todmorden, where vandalism is on the wane:

http://www.independent.co.uk/property/gardening/incredible-edible-guerrilla-gardeners-are-planting-veg-for-the-masses-in-west-yorkshire-8657717.html

It sounds like the key is to 'just grow stuff', and not worry about process/permission.

So maybe one bit of advice would be to not mention the Council at all from now on (even if they have given permission). Make it all "we did this".

 

[Hillian1]

The corner junction near our house was, until recently, a 120ft wide old coach turning circle, with no pavement on one side. It was pretty dangerous.

The residents petitioned the council to narrow the junction, hence widening the pavement, and the council agreed to do the work. It meant we had a 50ft wide pavement/pedestrian area, so the council asked the community what they'd like done with that area, and a community garden was the most popular answer. The council then built a raise bed of around 30ft by 20ft and filled it with soil, and have now left the community to grow what it likes.

So this Friday we're having a little bit of a do to 'open' the plot for people to come and see what's going on. We've had many ideas, including herbs, flowers and vegetables, but what we're short of is on-going expertise. We've got Brighton & Hove Food Partnership involved, plus people from one or two other community gardens across the city, but knowing NSC is a haven for keen gardeners, we were wondering if anyone could impart some advice.

Better still, if you're in the area, feel free to come along to the corner of Stanford Avenue and Cleveland Road on Friday afternoon and fill us with wisdom.

Just occurred to me that you haven't put a time as to when you'll be there, could be helpful especially as most will be at work.

 

[Hillian1]

That would be my first thought too, months of work undone by some tosser in 5 seconds on the way home from the pub. Thinking like this shouldn't really put us off doing things though, I guess.

100% certainty where I live I'm afraid, a good few of us would give it a go but our road is the main walking route from the Town Center to "Area 51".

 

[The Large One]

Just occurred to me that you haven't put a time as to when you'll be there, could be helpful especially as most will be at work.

Good point - 3.30pm onwards. We're getting the kids and parents in the area involved too.

Providing it doesn't chuck it down, we ought to still be going come office-home time.

 

[KNC]

As this is in the heartland of the Coriander Triangle, I hope you'll be growing some

 

[Seagull73]

Seems like a bit of a waste of time to me in an area that has a very nice park literally 20 seconds away. They could have built another house with that space.

What the hell has Blakers Park got to do with a proposed herb garden? I know you are being contrite for contrites-sake, but if you're going to be like that, at least try and make sense.

 

[The Large One]

As this is in the heartland of the Coriander Triangle, I hope you'll be growing some ����

Seeing as the whole area was - before the houses were built in the 1880s - a huge orchard, an apple tree seems appropriate too.

 

[The Large One]

What the hell has Blakers Park got to do with a proposed herb garden? I know you are being contrite for contrites-sake, but if you're going to be like that, at least try and make sense.

Quite. It's all marigolds and trees at the park.

 

[Carrot Cruncher]

Dig it out and bury the rubbish that's collecting around the city. Perfect solution to the current crisis.

You can make it a 'Bring a black sack' party.

 

[Hotchilidog]

All the houses around there have outdoor space available to them, so if they want to grow a few herbs they easily can. If there is a real need for a community garden, put it in one corner of the great big park that is already in place just a few seconds away. The thought that 50ft of prime space is needlessly being given away for a pointless vanity project sums up this council.

Not a vanity project at all, a much needed road safety project to make a dangerous road crossing a lot safer. The community garden is a surprisingly cheap way of making the expanse of tarmac look a little more pleasant.