Contents |
1. Introduction
2 Survey 3. Analysis 4. Design 5. Implementation 6. Maintenance Schedule 7. a) Evaluation b) Reflection 8. Tweak |
1. Introduction -
Background to this design
St Saviour's Edible Garden was orginally documented as a scrapbook in 2012/2013 (see pics below). It's aim was to build community around urban food growing as well as increase wildlife-friendly spaces in the area. However, documentation had been sporadic and design framework back then, a bit like a dress I'd squeezed on over the design afterwards, in order to make it presentable. That worked for me, but was difficult for assessors to navigate also as the scrapbook form was fun but less coherent. The aims of the design remained the same however:
- to build community around urban food growing
- to increase wildlife friendly space
- to show Permaculture to general public
In January 2014, an opportunity came up to do things 'the right way round'. Ie, survey, collate info, design before implementing for a change! I was leading an Intro to Permaculture with Mich Thill (see Stepping into Harmony) and we went through the design process with the group, using SADIM.
SADIM = Survey (client interview, base map) Analysis,( sectors,) Design ( functions and elements, group design practice, designs, first and second drafts), Implementation, (April 2014 to 2015), Maintenance schedule, Evaluation and Reflection, then Tweak.
2. Survey
Client interview
During 'Stepping into Harmony, an Introduction to Permaculture', at St Saviour's in January 2014, the group interviewed the Vicar's husband, Max, as part of their design survey/client interview. See supplementary evidence for copy of client interview questions and notes taken.
Max explained the Eco Congregation initiative (an environmental stewardship award for Churches) and the desire for the garden to become an area for quiet contemplation, a refuge from the busy road, as well as for food growing. He said the church was responsible for the grounds, had limited resources and that the design needed to be low maintenance as parishioners were elderly or not that interested in gardening. He did stress that the grounds had a community use informally, and formally, at the annual fete. Scouts, Brownies and Guides use the large grassy area in summer for play, as well as people who hire the church hall for parties.
He was happy to expand the garden now that it had shown itself to be sustainable (since 2009). HIs prioriies (and those of church) were aesthetics, having a spriitual dimension, lots of colour, herbs, smells, use of vertical growing space. There is passive use of the garden by 50 or 60 people who pass by duirng the day. There are plans for a farmers Market too, which would mean keeping the large lawn free of planting.
Limitations included: no privacy, no way to protect garden from vandals, no bins, no outside tap. The main lawn is shallow and infertile as foundation rubble from previous church still there (dry). The main energy leaks - no rainwater harvesting from huge roof. He would like people to feel they could harvest the food. (Suggested a sign 'Help yourself - and help!')
However on the plus side: no permission required from Diocese to change things outside of the church (only for things touching the buildings and inside).
There is no public right of way but it has been acquired by custom and practice.
History: the site was farmland till 1855, when the first church was built, later partially bombed in second world war.
Max explained the Eco Congregation initiative (an environmental stewardship award for Churches) and the desire for the garden to become an area for quiet contemplation, a refuge from the busy road, as well as for food growing. He said the church was responsible for the grounds, had limited resources and that the design needed to be low maintenance as parishioners were elderly or not that interested in gardening. He did stress that the grounds had a community use informally, and formally, at the annual fete. Scouts, Brownies and Guides use the large grassy area in summer for play, as well as people who hire the church hall for parties.
He was happy to expand the garden now that it had shown itself to be sustainable (since 2009). HIs prioriies (and those of church) were aesthetics, having a spriitual dimension, lots of colour, herbs, smells, use of vertical growing space. There is passive use of the garden by 50 or 60 people who pass by duirng the day. There are plans for a farmers Market too, which would mean keeping the large lawn free of planting.
Limitations included: no privacy, no way to protect garden from vandals, no bins, no outside tap. The main lawn is shallow and infertile as foundation rubble from previous church still there (dry). The main energy leaks - no rainwater harvesting from huge roof. He would like people to feel they could harvest the food. (Suggested a sign 'Help yourself - and help!')
However on the plus side: no permission required from Diocese to change things outside of the church (only for things touching the buildings and inside).
There is no public right of way but it has been acquired by custom and practice.
History: the site was farmland till 1855, when the first church was built, later partially bombed in second world war.
Base-mapping
As my previous design for St Saviour's had been incremental, (a bit 'wild' said tutor!) I decided to practice what I 'd been preaching during the Intro and do a proper base-map of the area.
Learing about basic surveying /triangulation at a Garden Design course at City Lit Blackheath and also a day of mapping at Glengall Gardens, Permaculture Land site in Peckham in early January 2014 gave me the ammo and info I needed to get started. See Supplementary evidence for rough measurements.
It took 3 attempts to come up with this version of the base-map (wiggly path bending wrong way on first one!). Quite fiddly getting that motley group of beds accurately onto paper. Luckily I needed just surveyor's tape and some helpful friends. Thankfully no need for bunyip filled with Ribena - the garden is on Brockley Rise but slope imperceptible to eye and has no obvious effects on garden so far.
North is actually on the left of the map as I've got used to looking at garden from the East (where main entrance is).
I could see from this base map that the growing area looks and is quite small compared to the land available (reasons to follow in 5. Implementation 'WHy this design can't be fully implemented just yet').
Learing about basic surveying /triangulation at a Garden Design course at City Lit Blackheath and also a day of mapping at Glengall Gardens, Permaculture Land site in Peckham in early January 2014 gave me the ammo and info I needed to get started. See Supplementary evidence for rough measurements.
It took 3 attempts to come up with this version of the base-map (wiggly path bending wrong way on first one!). Quite fiddly getting that motley group of beds accurately onto paper. Luckily I needed just surveyor's tape and some helpful friends. Thankfully no need for bunyip filled with Ribena - the garden is on Brockley Rise but slope imperceptible to eye and has no obvious effects on garden so far.
North is actually on the left of the map as I've got used to looking at garden from the East (where main entrance is).
I could see from this base map that the growing area looks and is quite small compared to the land available (reasons to follow in 5. Implementation 'WHy this design can't be fully implemented just yet').
3. Analysis (of site sectors)
Having been involved with the site for nearly 5 years, I 've become quite familiar with the sectors. So the information below was gathered by the group attending the Permaculture intro, Stepping into Harmony, with my own knowledge added in. (We also covered zones, see Stepping into Harmony).
Sun - I know the Church is East facing and the garden gets a lot of sun in the summer and can become very dry. In the Winter, the site doesn't get as much light as shade is cast by a Church Hall, except in early morning and late evening.
Wind - the site is very sheltered from strong winds, good for wildllife.
Rainfall - flows off the roofs into the drains! No areas of flooding noticed and it has been a very rainy Winter (2013).
Frost - no discernible frost pockets.
Wildlife - foxes and squirrels digging up soft soil. Local dogs get on to the garden occasionally and poo there. A frog was seen by cast iron downpipe too.
People - very little unwanted interaction, a couple of plants pinched from the Herb Spiral which is amazing considering how many pass by. Bench was initially vandalised but has been fixed.
Pollution - this garden is in a densely populated borough and on the main road. Some of the food is grown over 7 m from the traffic but some will be closer.
View - vastly improved by presence of the garden. People sitting the garden can see the nursery play area, houses and trees as well as church and church hall. The Church Hall walls could be improved by mosaics and climbers.
Sun - I know the Church is East facing and the garden gets a lot of sun in the summer and can become very dry. In the Winter, the site doesn't get as much light as shade is cast by a Church Hall, except in early morning and late evening.
Wind - the site is very sheltered from strong winds, good for wildllife.
Rainfall - flows off the roofs into the drains! No areas of flooding noticed and it has been a very rainy Winter (2013).
Frost - no discernible frost pockets.
Wildlife - foxes and squirrels digging up soft soil. Local dogs get on to the garden occasionally and poo there. A frog was seen by cast iron downpipe too.
People - very little unwanted interaction, a couple of plants pinched from the Herb Spiral which is amazing considering how many pass by. Bench was initially vandalised but has been fixed.
Pollution - this garden is in a densely populated borough and on the main road. Some of the food is grown over 7 m from the traffic but some will be closer.
View - vastly improved by presence of the garden. People sitting the garden can see the nursery play area, houses and trees as well as church and church hall. The Church Hall walls could be improved by mosaics and climbers.
4. Design
The Stepping into Harmony group carried out this exercise prior to designing to get an idea of how the possible elements/systems and functions connected up, some of which are noted here.
Function System/element
Food for light foraging met by Edible Garden - perennials and annual veg, fruit tree
Soil improvement Edible Garden, compost heaps and bins, green manure
Contemplative space Edible Garden and surrounds - seating, statue, fruit tree
Space to relax Edible Garden, seating
Aesthetics Edible Garden, flowers, statue?
Wildlife haven Edible Garden, hedges, wildflower meadow, bulbs, green manure, flowers
Weed suppressant Mulch, green manure, ground cover
Aromas Edible Garden - herbs and flowers
Later on I used, Vue (Visual Understanding Environment, free software to download) to create a diagram of how the Elements and functions link and to show that each element has multiple functions.
Function System/element
Food for light foraging met by Edible Garden - perennials and annual veg, fruit tree
Soil improvement Edible Garden, compost heaps and bins, green manure
Contemplative space Edible Garden and surrounds - seating, statue, fruit tree
Space to relax Edible Garden, seating
Aesthetics Edible Garden, flowers, statue?
Wildlife haven Edible Garden, hedges, wildflower meadow, bulbs, green manure, flowers
Weed suppressant Mulch, green manure, ground cover
Aromas Edible Garden - herbs and flowers
Later on I used, Vue (Visual Understanding Environment, free software to download) to create a diagram of how the Elements and functions link and to show that each element has multiple functions.
Group design practice
We measured the site together as a base-mapping exercise and then, to save time, I gave each group a rough base map to play with. I had drawn this up using google earth as a guide to proportions (see google earth pic below which I had scaled up to A3). The garden is very small compared to whole site and is where the little tree is sited.
One group came up the above design (above google pic). Their design included the whole grounds not just the edible garden, as we had completed a zoning exercise using church and grounds. Using the whole grounds gave more scope for creativity and a holistic design. (Design from patterns to details).
In response to client interveiw, they suggested having the quiet area by the south side of the church as during their observation practice had sensed it to be very tranquil and peaceful. However due to the 'unknowable unforeseeable behaviour' sector that does influence the site, it was decided that any further developments would be in an area of high visibility for now. See 5. 'why this design can't be fully implemented just yet'
Other ideas the group came up : wildflower meadow under the tree in North West Corner, a wood chip path to the quiet area, fruit trees flanking the other paths, have a Friends of St Saviour's constituted group to gain funding, an archway at the entrance, espaliers on walls of Scout Hut, a pond in area of contemplation with a water feature, woodland planting, loggery, raised herb bed for a bit of privacy, honeysuckle and bird boxes.
In response to client interveiw, they suggested having the quiet area by the south side of the church as during their observation practice had sensed it to be very tranquil and peaceful. However due to the 'unknowable unforeseeable behaviour' sector that does influence the site, it was decided that any further developments would be in an area of high visibility for now. See 5. 'why this design can't be fully implemented just yet'
Other ideas the group came up : wildflower meadow under the tree in North West Corner, a wood chip path to the quiet area, fruit trees flanking the other paths, have a Friends of St Saviour's constituted group to gain funding, an archway at the entrance, espaliers on walls of Scout Hut, a pond in area of contemplation with a water feature, woodland planting, loggery, raised herb bed for a bit of privacy, honeysuckle and bird boxes.
My Design - first draft
However my design would just apply to the area previously designated by the church as I knew it had more chance of being implemented if I kept it small scale and realistic.
I was able to take the Base map above along to my Garden Design class in 2014 and produce a quick design using overlay paper and our tutor Mhairi's tools of the trade (French curves and other things I cannot name). We were encouraged to take the pencil for a walk over the page and come up with lots of different shapes before committing to an idea. (Pre - concept design). What sort of shapes would fit into that space?
We only had an hour or so to come up with and complete our designs and expense wasn't a consideration at this stage. (See First Draft of design left).
I've rounded off the patchworky area at the top (as I think curves look better than squares though in this case may produce less 'edge'). Then I tried to mirror that shape in the lower part of the design (using garden design principles of repeating shapes and harmony). I went for a pleasing layout in this first draft because the design brief had specified aesthetics a priority (see 2. Client survey).
Both beds will grow edible produce. Climbers such as grape and kiwi can take advantage of the East facing trellis fence that is 2m high and borders the nursery outdoor area. This gives shade to toddlers playing there in summer.
Corners have been rounded off and pathways added so people can 'go on a journey' round the garden which means they'll slow down a bit rather than rush past.
I was able to take the Base map above along to my Garden Design class in 2014 and produce a quick design using overlay paper and our tutor Mhairi's tools of the trade (French curves and other things I cannot name). We were encouraged to take the pencil for a walk over the page and come up with lots of different shapes before committing to an idea. (Pre - concept design). What sort of shapes would fit into that space?
We only had an hour or so to come up with and complete our designs and expense wasn't a consideration at this stage. (See First Draft of design left).
I've rounded off the patchworky area at the top (as I think curves look better than squares though in this case may produce less 'edge'). Then I tried to mirror that shape in the lower part of the design (using garden design principles of repeating shapes and harmony). I went for a pleasing layout in this first draft because the design brief had specified aesthetics a priority (see 2. Client survey).
Both beds will grow edible produce. Climbers such as grape and kiwi can take advantage of the East facing trellis fence that is 2m high and borders the nursery outdoor area. This gives shade to toddlers playing there in summer.
Corners have been rounded off and pathways added so people can 'go on a journey' round the garden which means they'll slow down a bit rather than rush past.
I showed it to the Vicar's husband who suggested a few amendments and things to research, ie, cost of gravelly bits, seating and a frame for the archway at entrance.
He pointed out some of the edges may be fiddly to mow and gravel might migrate away from path. Other than mowing, which he does, the maintenance would be covered by the Saturday group that I organise that meets here once a month to garden. We also agreed to run an activity for Scouts in June as they don't really get to interact with the garden much (the Scout Hut is also in church grounds).
The design has little drifts of flowers that edge the paved path - he pointed out that this would make mowing tricky and suggested early Spring bulbs.
He thought the Willow arch would need a frame to grow up and said roses would look good too. I can start popping bits of Willow in in the meantime while he asks his carpenter friend the cost of that.
The additional bed, the circular one, couldn't be implemented until there a new location is found for the bouncy castle which is a popular feature of the annual fete. He will speak to the fete organiser about that.
There is no funding for this but he suggested finalising the design, costing it and 'selling' it to church goers and locals who would perhaps like to donate or leave something in their wills and have relatives remembered by planting a tree.
He pointed out some of the edges may be fiddly to mow and gravel might migrate away from path. Other than mowing, which he does, the maintenance would be covered by the Saturday group that I organise that meets here once a month to garden. We also agreed to run an activity for Scouts in June as they don't really get to interact with the garden much (the Scout Hut is also in church grounds).
The design has little drifts of flowers that edge the paved path - he pointed out that this would make mowing tricky and suggested early Spring bulbs.
He thought the Willow arch would need a frame to grow up and said roses would look good too. I can start popping bits of Willow in in the meantime while he asks his carpenter friend the cost of that.
The additional bed, the circular one, couldn't be implemented until there a new location is found for the bouncy castle which is a popular feature of the annual fete. He will speak to the fete organiser about that.
There is no funding for this but he suggested finalising the design, costing it and 'selling' it to church goers and locals who would perhaps like to donate or leave something in their wills and have relatives remembered by planting a tree.
Design - Second draft
Applying self regulation and accepting feedback, I produced version two using another overlay. Less expensive and easier to implement I think.
(I also used the amended base map for this so path is fairly accurate)!
What I've done is round off the top beds slightly using a curve of sunflowers (or annuals ) and covered the grass with woodchips. I decided that having an egg shape and a round shape didn't really look that good and the changing the edges of the already implemented area would be costly. The curve of Sunflowers can be implemented this month hopefully (April 2014).
The top corner is rounded off to using logs and low growing herbs can be planted there. (Use and value renewables)
There is no gravel, just grass around the beds that should still be wide enough to mow.
More growing space has been added by creating little bumps either side of the Water Butt but sill allowing access to it. Against the wall of Church Hall is good space for shade tolerant fruit bushes (Tayberry, Raspberry, Currants, Japanese Wineberry). They are fairly low maintenance and definitely wiildlife friendly.
(Work iwith nature, Obtain an edible Yield).
I've moved the Love Bench nearer to the unmovable notice board so it can be secured to the legs of board with chains and extended the seating with little log seats (inspired by Pavillion Triangle in in Mayow Park). They need to be installed properly, ie, 1/3 buried but seem to have lasted well in Mayow Park (since 2011). (Use and value renewables) For more info see Friends of Mayow Park blogspot.
If there are more hedges available from the Woodland Trust the hedge that runs along the road side wall can be extended to hide the compost heap and provide a barrier against road noise and maybe filter pollution.
The main new feature is a huge African Keyhole Bed, which I am fond of as I have been nursing one on my allotment. They are easy to implement, fairly cheap (apart from logroll and compost) and help reduce watering. Plants can access moisture from the compost rotting in the centre of the bed which leaches out into the surrounding soil. (Work with nature, Produce no waste, Catch and store energy) (See African Keyhole Bed.)
(I also used the amended base map for this so path is fairly accurate)!
What I've done is round off the top beds slightly using a curve of sunflowers (or annuals ) and covered the grass with woodchips. I decided that having an egg shape and a round shape didn't really look that good and the changing the edges of the already implemented area would be costly. The curve of Sunflowers can be implemented this month hopefully (April 2014).
The top corner is rounded off to using logs and low growing herbs can be planted there. (Use and value renewables)
There is no gravel, just grass around the beds that should still be wide enough to mow.
More growing space has been added by creating little bumps either side of the Water Butt but sill allowing access to it. Against the wall of Church Hall is good space for shade tolerant fruit bushes (Tayberry, Raspberry, Currants, Japanese Wineberry). They are fairly low maintenance and definitely wiildlife friendly.
(Work iwith nature, Obtain an edible Yield).
I've moved the Love Bench nearer to the unmovable notice board so it can be secured to the legs of board with chains and extended the seating with little log seats (inspired by Pavillion Triangle in in Mayow Park). They need to be installed properly, ie, 1/3 buried but seem to have lasted well in Mayow Park (since 2011). (Use and value renewables) For more info see Friends of Mayow Park blogspot.
If there are more hedges available from the Woodland Trust the hedge that runs along the road side wall can be extended to hide the compost heap and provide a barrier against road noise and maybe filter pollution.
The main new feature is a huge African Keyhole Bed, which I am fond of as I have been nursing one on my allotment. They are easy to implement, fairly cheap (apart from logroll and compost) and help reduce watering. Plants can access moisture from the compost rotting in the centre of the bed which leaches out into the surrounding soil. (Work with nature, Produce no waste, Catch and store energy) (See African Keyhole Bed.)
The compost heap in the bottom left is for the weekly lawn mowings from March to September that the Vicar's husband carries out. I thought that they would be less unsightly behind hedge but still accessible if we needed mulch.
The initials GB stand for gooseberry, KC for Cournus kousa, RC for redcurrants and HS for herb spiral, already on site.
The initials GB stand for gooseberry, KC for Cournus kousa, RC for redcurrants and HS for herb spiral, already on site.
As I was producing the design for a 'client' to sell to parishioners I needed to come up with costings. This garden is very low budget due to log and woodchip content that is available from local tree surgeons.
Costings
Item Quantity Cost Additional info
Logs for borders 4 0.00 if fromlocal tree surgeon
Woochip for gapfill 240L 0.00 if from tree surgeon
Logroll for border of AKB 12 m 66.63 Argos 19.99 for 2 x 180cm Willow 4 cuttings 0.00
Climbing roses 4 plants 39.80 9.95 from Unwins
Herbs 6 11.94 Shannons Local Garden centre
Log seating 6 or 7 0.00 if from Hamish logs need to be about 0.5 m length and wide enough to sit on
Mixed hedge 9 0.00 if from Woodland Trust
Bulbs 100 110.00 http://www.wildflowershop.co.uk/
Compost 30 bags 120.00 Shannons 3 bags of 60L for £12. (some of own compost could be used plus woodchips for padding )
Fruit bushes 6 0.00 Take cuttings of Gooseb, Rasp, Jap wineberry, Tayb, Redcurrants etc
Grape 1 12.99 Shannons Local Garden Centre
Kiwi 1 12.99 Shannons
Dwarf Apple tree 1 13.95
Various veg seeds 30 7.47 Garden Organic
secateurs for volunteers 1 32.00 Budget Felco
Total so far 427.77
(Main costs are compost and bulbs - If possible I would buy wildflower bulbs rather than 99p store ones)
Logs for borders 4 0.00 if fromlocal tree surgeon
Woochip for gapfill 240L 0.00 if from tree surgeon
Logroll for border of AKB 12 m 66.63 Argos 19.99 for 2 x 180cm Willow 4 cuttings 0.00
Climbing roses 4 plants 39.80 9.95 from Unwins
Herbs 6 11.94 Shannons Local Garden centre
Log seating 6 or 7 0.00 if from Hamish logs need to be about 0.5 m length and wide enough to sit on
Mixed hedge 9 0.00 if from Woodland Trust
Bulbs 100 110.00 http://www.wildflowershop.co.uk/
Compost 30 bags 120.00 Shannons 3 bags of 60L for £12. (some of own compost could be used plus woodchips for padding )
Fruit bushes 6 0.00 Take cuttings of Gooseb, Rasp, Jap wineberry, Tayb, Redcurrants etc
Grape 1 12.99 Shannons Local Garden Centre
Kiwi 1 12.99 Shannons
Dwarf Apple tree 1 13.95
Various veg seeds 30 7.47 Garden Organic
secateurs for volunteers 1 32.00 Budget Felco
Total so far 427.77
(Main costs are compost and bulbs - If possible I would buy wildflower bulbs rather than 99p store ones)
5. Implementation
2014/2015
The implementation schedule will be incremental, depending on availability of funds, and materials but here is a possible outline.
1. email the latest design to Vicar's husband with costings (done) He will see if he can raise funds via 'garden of remembrance' style donations.
2. implement the curve of annuals at Growing for Gold on 19th April (see What's on) (see also below)
3. plant fruit bushes, climbers and one dwarf apple as centre piece (Winter 14/15)
4. Install African Keyhole Bed, plant green manure and annual veg (Spring 2015)
5. Plant bulbs (Late 2015)
6. Willow archway and hedges (late 2015)
1. email the latest design to Vicar's husband with costings (done) He will see if he can raise funds via 'garden of remembrance' style donations.
2. implement the curve of annuals at Growing for Gold on 19th April (see What's on) (see also below)
3. plant fruit bushes, climbers and one dwarf apple as centre piece (Winter 14/15)
4. Install African Keyhole Bed, plant green manure and annual veg (Spring 2015)
5. Plant bulbs (Late 2015)
6. Willow archway and hedges (late 2015)
April 2014
In April, we marked out the curve that joins the higgedly piggedly beds with sticks and planted sunflowers to mark it out.
In May the sunflowers had not appeared so we rounded of some of the beds using donated logs and some old paving that had been left lying outside the Church Hall. (Creatively use and respond to change, work with nature)
In May the sunflowers had not appeared so we rounded of some of the beds using donated logs and some old paving that had been left lying outside the Church Hall. (Creatively use and respond to change, work with nature)
May 2014
Implementation 2015
Following a successful funding bid late 2014, Crofton Park Assembly has awarded St Saviour's Edible Garden £500 for some of the above plus some workshops for the local community. (See What's on page for details of events). This means that some of the above can be implemented:
- dwarf apple tree - can be planted in the centre of the beds protected by exisiting fruit bushes from wind, dogs and hopefully theft. (done March 2015)
- grape vines or kiwi climbers can be planted to cover the trellis bordering on nursery kids' outdoor area (I have already spoken to nursery about this and they agree as it'll provide shade in summer) (grape implemented March 2015)
- spring bulb planting at edges of path to slow down passers by and give garden more contemplative feel.
Why this design can't be fully implemented yet
- The proposed big keyhole bed in the space between existing beds and noticeboard can't be implemented because no alternative space for the bouncy castle which is really popular at annual fete (Apply self-regulation and accept feedback)
- statue: not sure of cost and design that could please both secular and church goers, more consultation required. A local artist?
- contemplative area - as Max (Vicar's husband) said in his feedback, although the area ideal for this is at the side of church, he really does not wish to encourage people to congregate there in case of anti-social behaviour in a less visible part of grounds
- archway entrance trellis. I am awaiting for info on costs and doesn't feel like a priority at the moment
6. Maintenance schedule
Maintenance schedule follows the implementation schedule for 2015...Which loosely follows the calendar for 2014/2015 I had planned in What's on
Winter: hedge and tree planting, mulching, pruning, bulb planting
Spring: sowing seeds and green manure, dividing herbs and perennials - give to volunteers, planting seedlings
Summer: watering, mulching, harvesting, summer fete activity for publicising garden, engaging children with it
Autumn: pruning, harvesting, sowing annuals in situ, bulb planting
Winter: hedge and tree planting, mulching, pruning, bulb planting
Spring: sowing seeds and green manure, dividing herbs and perennials - give to volunteers, planting seedlings
Summer: watering, mulching, harvesting, summer fete activity for publicising garden, engaging children with it
Autumn: pruning, harvesting, sowing annuals in situ, bulb planting
7a. Evaluation
February 2015
I am going to use SWOC as it seems quite a formal businesslike evaluation framework which befits this design, which is the most 'formal' I have undertaken so far.
Strengths
- I like the way this design has multiple functions: food growing, is wildlife friendly and community involvement. It has a lot of potential to grow and develop into something larger, involving more people, especially members of the congregation should they wish to take it on. it could be a welcoming place for the local community to relax and /or learn about gardening, especially the socially excluded at risk of depression and /or anxiety.
-Permaculture gardening happens there, the 3 ethics are practised on site and there is vertical growing (stacking) up the fence, no dig and polyculture as well as mulching and green manure.
- one of its strengths is also it weakness. It is open access at all times, so no need to put it in your diary if you want to have a stroll about and look at how edibles grow. I like the fact that people can enjoy it just as passers by on way to school and nursery or to shops, some sit on the bench at lunchtimes and have picnics in summer. There are parks nearby but this area is a little island of greenery off the main road.
- Community Building: the small select bunch of regular volunteers have been coming for 2 or 3 years, some of them since the beginning in 2009 (from Transiition Town Brockley, the local primary school and local residents who've attended workshops and enjoyed them ). They have been a great support and good to hang out with.
- Produce: Due to fertile soil, food is growing there though not yet harvested regularly. That patch of lawn was not affected by bomb damage and is relatively rubble-free and is loamy underneath the grass.
Weaknesses
- it's just me coordinating any activity in the garden as church council already fully committed and can't take on more. This means it has less impact on the local community as I am only able to manage monthly sessions (which can take a day's preparation at least). I haven't found any one else who wants to come on board and co-run it, that is probably due to a lack of consultation in the early stages (2009). I sometimes run out of momentum especially when the funding runs out and I can't tempt newvolunteers with free workshops and seeds!
- funding is hard to come by as we don't have a constitutiion. the church has a Treasurer and the chair is the Vicar.
- The garden doesn't offer any formal sessions for people suffering with Mental Health difficulties or drug and alcohol addictions because I am not qualified.
- lots of stuff doesn't get harvested on time (as I'm working alone on it I don't visit that often). Rocket for example, bolts before it is harvested.
Opportunities
- the site has a huge area of grass around the church which belongs to the church. There is less red tape than Council owned land, should the church council wish to implement anything a bit more adventurous like forest garden or get serious about using the area to grow food, offer gardening therapy to local community. There are also plans for a Farmer's Market at some point.
- in Summer 2014, I gave one bed to the Guides and Brownies to start growing in. It is a nice manageable size. It'll be good to share resources with the guide leaders and perhaps get more people interested in growing in general. I let guide leaders know of any events going on.
Challenges
- Water butt not collecting any rainwater as disconnected in 2014 after rainy winter which caused a wall to get damp. So getting enough water onto the growing area in dry summers is diffiuclt as water supply in vestry and only open sat and thurs morns officially. Some volunteers have been watering the beds on Thursdays which is great. I have had to let some stuff bolt and also plant drought tolerants such as Pelargoniums which are colourful but as far as I know, not edible.
- security on site. Being open access, it is risky to spend large amounts of money on plants that may get vandalised or stolen if easy to lift. The same applies to seating areas that have to be indestructible and chained to something immovable - looks less appealing. The first bench was vandalised but luckily a carpenter friend fixed it to be more sturdy in 2013.
- fulfiling the 'contemplative' request by client. I haven't included the statue in costings. It would be fitting to have a local artist design it. The garden is shaped so that people can stroll around it and look at it from different angles. I think most gardens do provide a contemplative space for people by their nature.
Strengths
- I like the way this design has multiple functions: food growing, is wildlife friendly and community involvement. It has a lot of potential to grow and develop into something larger, involving more people, especially members of the congregation should they wish to take it on. it could be a welcoming place for the local community to relax and /or learn about gardening, especially the socially excluded at risk of depression and /or anxiety.
-Permaculture gardening happens there, the 3 ethics are practised on site and there is vertical growing (stacking) up the fence, no dig and polyculture as well as mulching and green manure.
- one of its strengths is also it weakness. It is open access at all times, so no need to put it in your diary if you want to have a stroll about and look at how edibles grow. I like the fact that people can enjoy it just as passers by on way to school and nursery or to shops, some sit on the bench at lunchtimes and have picnics in summer. There are parks nearby but this area is a little island of greenery off the main road.
- Community Building: the small select bunch of regular volunteers have been coming for 2 or 3 years, some of them since the beginning in 2009 (from Transiition Town Brockley, the local primary school and local residents who've attended workshops and enjoyed them ). They have been a great support and good to hang out with.
- Produce: Due to fertile soil, food is growing there though not yet harvested regularly. That patch of lawn was not affected by bomb damage and is relatively rubble-free and is loamy underneath the grass.
Weaknesses
- it's just me coordinating any activity in the garden as church council already fully committed and can't take on more. This means it has less impact on the local community as I am only able to manage monthly sessions (which can take a day's preparation at least). I haven't found any one else who wants to come on board and co-run it, that is probably due to a lack of consultation in the early stages (2009). I sometimes run out of momentum especially when the funding runs out and I can't tempt newvolunteers with free workshops and seeds!
- funding is hard to come by as we don't have a constitutiion. the church has a Treasurer and the chair is the Vicar.
- The garden doesn't offer any formal sessions for people suffering with Mental Health difficulties or drug and alcohol addictions because I am not qualified.
- lots of stuff doesn't get harvested on time (as I'm working alone on it I don't visit that often). Rocket for example, bolts before it is harvested.
Opportunities
- the site has a huge area of grass around the church which belongs to the church. There is less red tape than Council owned land, should the church council wish to implement anything a bit more adventurous like forest garden or get serious about using the area to grow food, offer gardening therapy to local community. There are also plans for a Farmer's Market at some point.
- in Summer 2014, I gave one bed to the Guides and Brownies to start growing in. It is a nice manageable size. It'll be good to share resources with the guide leaders and perhaps get more people interested in growing in general. I let guide leaders know of any events going on.
Challenges
- Water butt not collecting any rainwater as disconnected in 2014 after rainy winter which caused a wall to get damp. So getting enough water onto the growing area in dry summers is diffiuclt as water supply in vestry and only open sat and thurs morns officially. Some volunteers have been watering the beds on Thursdays which is great. I have had to let some stuff bolt and also plant drought tolerants such as Pelargoniums which are colourful but as far as I know, not edible.
- security on site. Being open access, it is risky to spend large amounts of money on plants that may get vandalised or stolen if easy to lift. The same applies to seating areas that have to be indestructible and chained to something immovable - looks less appealing. The first bench was vandalised but luckily a carpenter friend fixed it to be more sturdy in 2013.
- fulfiling the 'contemplative' request by client. I haven't included the statue in costings. It would be fitting to have a local artist design it. The garden is shaped so that people can stroll around it and look at it from different angles. I think most gardens do provide a contemplative space for people by their nature.
7b. Reflection
Design process
I originally used Looby's framework but that is not part of this write up. The Framework I am now using SADIm, ( I keep getting drawn into SADIM!) though as Aranya says in his book, 'Permaculture design a step by step guide', all frameworks follow that basic cycle.
Elements and functions In choosing the elements, was very much guided by the group design that arose out of Stepping into Harmony and the client interview of course. On the Intro course, we also explored zones and it was decided that zone 0 was the church itself, the pathways zone 1 and garden zone 3, hedges zone 4. At the time there was no obvious zone 2, but if the garden became busier, that would become zone 2 or even 1. One element I didn't include elements and functions and could have, is the free workshops (Herb spiral, botannical drawing, for example)- these often generate a lot of interest and people attend in higher numbers, so get to know about Permaculture this way.
I wanted a separate section for Costings as they have influenced whether the design gets implemented or not and they definitely influenced the changes I made to the design from first to second drafts.
Tools
Client interview
This worked well as the Vicar's husband was happy to be interviewed by the participants on Stepping into Harmony and he was very informative and clear about limits, usage, (past and present) and wishes.
Base-mapping and overlays
As I 'd already installed most of the beds, the mapping was fiddly. (And it took 3 attempts) - but it did give me clear idea of where the growing site was in relation to whole grassy patch to the left of path and how much was not being used (designated yearly bouncy castle space). I was able to use overlays to produce two designs - one ideal and one more pragmatic.
Costings
I'm not sure if costings is a design tool as such or a practice but it was helpful to give to the client and to make decisions about what we could really afford to do (also me to make compromises).
Elements and functions
These were used on the course Stepping into Harmony with the group just before design proper. This tool ensures the design Produces no waste and has multifunctions.
SWOC
As I said above, it is a 'businesslike' evaluation tool and comes across as professional. This design is for other people and I wanted to be taken seriously as a designer.
Theory and practice - How I've applied the Ethics to this design
Earthcare
The plot is no dig (unless planting) and quite wild soil. When installing the beds I used cardboard to suppress the grass and piled compost and organic mulch on top. The soil is covered at all times unless we are planting. This lessens the disturbance of soil organisms and allows them to do their work and prevents drying out.
Some weeds are allowed to stay - nettles for butterfly eggs to live on, wild geranium? speedwell (good ground cover), though we don't really have that many. The main one at the side of the church hall is Green Alkanet that apparently is helpful for bringing up nutrients.
If there is an overgrowth or dominance of one particular plant, we use chop and drop as a way of lessening that plant and mulching the soil at same time. (Did have a lot of salad burnett and calendula). The volunteers take home divisions, layerings and cuttings too, for their own gardens (raspberries, gooseberries, herbs). So this is an example of Fairshares. Also when funding is awarded, I involve local people to lead workshops such as botannical drawing, herb spiral building, foraging, herbs and singing folk (see What's On). I like to create local connections between people and the garden and spread some of the benefits around if possible.
Peoplecare - the sessions are friendly and open to newcomers. I had a visit from a young women who works for Age Concern whose role it is to work with socially excluded people. I let her know when the sessions are so that she can tell her clients about them.
Before each session health risks are pointed out to new comers, and they sign a form to say they have read and understood them. No heavy lifing is required for most sessions in any case. See St Saviour's Edible Garden for Health and Safety info.
The garden also benefits passers by and picnickers who can enjoy the flowers and butterflies etc when the weather is warm enough. It has a bench (paid for by Local Assembly) and now people can stop and enjoy the view (which was previously just grass).
Principles applied (apart from ones mentioned already in the write up)
Catch and store energy, use and value diversity and integrate not segregate - Design stage the ideas and interest generated during Stepping into Harmony helped me move into this latest design cycle. (As well as what I had learnt on my short Garden Design Course at City Lit Blackheath). The client interveiw and group design were inspiring and I integrated them into my design as well as generating my own ideas.
Creatively use and respond to change, apply self regulation and accept feedback- I have not stuck too rigidly to the plan and accepted the limitations of this design. Implementation stage
Produce no waste, catch and store energy - when funding opportunities have arisen (mostly local assembly) I have made the most of them to inject more life into the garden and its use by providing workshops led by local people and more interesting plants.
Princples I could have used more of?
Observe and interact
As I've said, I dived in with this design and didn't spend enough time consulting locals on what they wanted. Having said that I think I gave the church goers some opportunity to comment and contribute via articles in 'the Rise' church quarterly, (now online) and fliers inviting people to come and have a chat when sessions are on or to email me.
Integrate rather than segregate. I would have loved the parishioners to get more involved in the garden. Perhaps this will happen in the future if I can design a session for older people. However am really pleased that the Guides and Brownies will make use of the rectangle bed for getting their gardening badges
My progression as a designer - I think I have carried out the design, from 2014, in a professional manner - carrying out client interviews, costings, base mapping, two design drafts, re- consulting with client and being informed by a group of designers - all good practice!
When I set up in 2009, I had gathered a bunch of people and materials and almost left them to own devices (which is a way was fun for them) and the result was 3 very different shaped beds; rectangle, kidney and octagonal, quite random! (A local resident commented that it looked like 'the fairies' had been). I could have perhaps shown people an overall plan and chunked down the tasks so that small groups could implement their own task. (I did have an overall plan, but not the materials to go with it. The original funding from Capital Growth was enough for a tonne of soil and one edging). However I wanted to let it happen more organically.
I have been aware from the start that aesthetics were important to the church council and church goers and have tried to provide edibles and some non -edibles for all year round interest. I have responded to this and the garden does look abundant and interesting all year.
I could have carried out a PASE consultation before starting the garden which would have given me an idea of how many people were interested and what they would have liked. (I did carry one out at a later date at an annual fete but didn't really get many ideas, many people just said they 'didn't know')(does that mean they don't really mind?).
I originally used Looby's framework but that is not part of this write up. The Framework I am now using SADIm, ( I keep getting drawn into SADIM!) though as Aranya says in his book, 'Permaculture design a step by step guide', all frameworks follow that basic cycle.
Elements and functions In choosing the elements, was very much guided by the group design that arose out of Stepping into Harmony and the client interview of course. On the Intro course, we also explored zones and it was decided that zone 0 was the church itself, the pathways zone 1 and garden zone 3, hedges zone 4. At the time there was no obvious zone 2, but if the garden became busier, that would become zone 2 or even 1. One element I didn't include elements and functions and could have, is the free workshops (Herb spiral, botannical drawing, for example)- these often generate a lot of interest and people attend in higher numbers, so get to know about Permaculture this way.
I wanted a separate section for Costings as they have influenced whether the design gets implemented or not and they definitely influenced the changes I made to the design from first to second drafts.
Tools
Client interview
This worked well as the Vicar's husband was happy to be interviewed by the participants on Stepping into Harmony and he was very informative and clear about limits, usage, (past and present) and wishes.
Base-mapping and overlays
As I 'd already installed most of the beds, the mapping was fiddly. (And it took 3 attempts) - but it did give me clear idea of where the growing site was in relation to whole grassy patch to the left of path and how much was not being used (designated yearly bouncy castle space). I was able to use overlays to produce two designs - one ideal and one more pragmatic.
Costings
I'm not sure if costings is a design tool as such or a practice but it was helpful to give to the client and to make decisions about what we could really afford to do (also me to make compromises).
Elements and functions
These were used on the course Stepping into Harmony with the group just before design proper. This tool ensures the design Produces no waste and has multifunctions.
SWOC
As I said above, it is a 'businesslike' evaluation tool and comes across as professional. This design is for other people and I wanted to be taken seriously as a designer.
Theory and practice - How I've applied the Ethics to this design
Earthcare
The plot is no dig (unless planting) and quite wild soil. When installing the beds I used cardboard to suppress the grass and piled compost and organic mulch on top. The soil is covered at all times unless we are planting. This lessens the disturbance of soil organisms and allows them to do their work and prevents drying out.
Some weeds are allowed to stay - nettles for butterfly eggs to live on, wild geranium? speedwell (good ground cover), though we don't really have that many. The main one at the side of the church hall is Green Alkanet that apparently is helpful for bringing up nutrients.
If there is an overgrowth or dominance of one particular plant, we use chop and drop as a way of lessening that plant and mulching the soil at same time. (Did have a lot of salad burnett and calendula). The volunteers take home divisions, layerings and cuttings too, for their own gardens (raspberries, gooseberries, herbs). So this is an example of Fairshares. Also when funding is awarded, I involve local people to lead workshops such as botannical drawing, herb spiral building, foraging, herbs and singing folk (see What's On). I like to create local connections between people and the garden and spread some of the benefits around if possible.
Peoplecare - the sessions are friendly and open to newcomers. I had a visit from a young women who works for Age Concern whose role it is to work with socially excluded people. I let her know when the sessions are so that she can tell her clients about them.
Before each session health risks are pointed out to new comers, and they sign a form to say they have read and understood them. No heavy lifing is required for most sessions in any case. See St Saviour's Edible Garden for Health and Safety info.
The garden also benefits passers by and picnickers who can enjoy the flowers and butterflies etc when the weather is warm enough. It has a bench (paid for by Local Assembly) and now people can stop and enjoy the view (which was previously just grass).
Principles applied (apart from ones mentioned already in the write up)
Catch and store energy, use and value diversity and integrate not segregate - Design stage the ideas and interest generated during Stepping into Harmony helped me move into this latest design cycle. (As well as what I had learnt on my short Garden Design Course at City Lit Blackheath). The client interveiw and group design were inspiring and I integrated them into my design as well as generating my own ideas.
Creatively use and respond to change, apply self regulation and accept feedback- I have not stuck too rigidly to the plan and accepted the limitations of this design. Implementation stage
Produce no waste, catch and store energy - when funding opportunities have arisen (mostly local assembly) I have made the most of them to inject more life into the garden and its use by providing workshops led by local people and more interesting plants.
Princples I could have used more of?
Observe and interact
As I've said, I dived in with this design and didn't spend enough time consulting locals on what they wanted. Having said that I think I gave the church goers some opportunity to comment and contribute via articles in 'the Rise' church quarterly, (now online) and fliers inviting people to come and have a chat when sessions are on or to email me.
Integrate rather than segregate. I would have loved the parishioners to get more involved in the garden. Perhaps this will happen in the future if I can design a session for older people. However am really pleased that the Guides and Brownies will make use of the rectangle bed for getting their gardening badges
My progression as a designer - I think I have carried out the design, from 2014, in a professional manner - carrying out client interviews, costings, base mapping, two design drafts, re- consulting with client and being informed by a group of designers - all good practice!
When I set up in 2009, I had gathered a bunch of people and materials and almost left them to own devices (which is a way was fun for them) and the result was 3 very different shaped beds; rectangle, kidney and octagonal, quite random! (A local resident commented that it looked like 'the fairies' had been). I could have perhaps shown people an overall plan and chunked down the tasks so that small groups could implement their own task. (I did have an overall plan, but not the materials to go with it. The original funding from Capital Growth was enough for a tonne of soil and one edging). However I wanted to let it happen more organically.
I have been aware from the start that aesthetics were important to the church council and church goers and have tried to provide edibles and some non -edibles for all year round interest. I have responded to this and the garden does look abundant and interesting all year.
I could have carried out a PASE consultation before starting the garden which would have given me an idea of how many people were interested and what they would have liked. (I did carry one out at a later date at an annual fete but didn't really get many ideas, many people just said they 'didn't know')(does that mean they don't really mind?).
8. Tweak
There are many ways I could apply Self regulation and accept feedback but here are just a few ideas:
- As suggested in the group design, think about how to form a 'Friends of St Saviour's' to enable more funding bids and share the work of coordinating the garden with others. This would give me more momentum and the project would have more energy behind it.
- I would have the beds shaped differently, to me they look a bit higgedly piggledy (patchwork) and it would be nice to have a star shape or something with rounder softer edges (difficult when using straight planks of wood).
- I could have run a weekly session, a drop in for people with mental health difficulties, and will not rule this out as a possibility for the future.
- I could also have worked harder to convince the church council to install a forest garden there!
Accreditation criteria met:
2. Applying Permculture for at least 2 years. Category - Community Development, Site Development, Design Consultancy, Education
3. Demonstrating design skills, fluency with processes and tools (SADIM, zones and sectors, client interview, costings)
5. Developing Permaculture Practice (Evaluation and Reflection)
2. Applying Permculture for at least 2 years. Category - Community Development, Site Development, Design Consultancy, Education
3. Demonstrating design skills, fluency with processes and tools (SADIM, zones and sectors, client interview, costings)
5. Developing Permaculture Practice (Evaluation and Reflection)