The goats had a couple of weeks to clear some of the brambles in the Community Garden, and then the task of finishing was taken up by a dedicated group of volunteers. In addition to moving a mountain of garden waste, we’ve also discovered an accidental rockery – which may or may not be reinstated as part of the garden wall that fell down – and removed a very large buddleia that had taken root in the render at the back of the building.
A goat having a good time before eating the garden.
The main pathway has been uncovered and what I thought was a step is actually the footings for a building that is no longer there. These may provide a good foundation for the pond in the top left corner of the garden. There’s also a concrete pad which I assume was used for an oil tank, and this is likely to be repurposed into a small patio with some seating.
The next job is to do some landscaping to widen the access path and make it useable for wheelchairs and pushchairs and create three raised beds to grow things.
One great example of the circular nature of the project is that the paths will be created using paving slabs that have been removed from the high-street renovations happening over the last few weeks. This not only saves money, but also prevents a lot of waste going to landfill.
For me, the next step is to rehabilitate some of the fascia boards at the back of the building and add some motion-sensing security lights.
I’ve also got to test and repair the air-conditioning system for the building and begin working out how we can put the whole building on a more sustainable footing with a community power project that will provide cheaper, renewable, electricity for the community fridge. I’ll have more on these projects shortly.