I’ve been away for a week, and so much has happened in the garden thanks to the hard work of Gem and Sam. After the goats and volunteer clearing team had done their work, there was a ton of rocks to move, paving slabs to bring in and a pond to be dug.
Surprisingly, Sam and Gem managed to get a mini digger into the garden, which meant digging the pond and new access ramps could be done in a few days. The ramp itself revealed a long drainage pipe which may or may not be redundant, but they’re taking care in case it’s a live line.
As you can see from the picture above, there is a lot going on. The new slope and pathways will ensure the garden is accessible for wheelchairs and pushchairs, and the raised bed should also mean any wheelchair users can get involved in the running of the garden. Gem said the soil is surprisingly good; she was expecting lots of clay, but that wasn’t the case.
The first raised bed (seen here from a vantage point on my flat roof) is actually built and filled and forms the front edge of the new pathway. The beds are being constructed from untreated wood to prevent any chemicals leaching into the places where food will be grown. Tomorrow (23rd October) should see the delivery of aggregate and cement to create the paths, so we’ll get to see the final layout pretty soon. The path leading from the gate to the ramp may well be created with wooden decking to maintain a gully which leads to a storm drain.
The main path down the centre might need widening to 120cm to be fully accessible so that will be done with either concrete or slabs, depending on how many of the recycled slabs are available.
The pond is installed and is filling up nicely thanks to the autumn weather. It seems to attract the slugs who go in for a swim and then can’t seem to get out. Hopefully they’ll be manageable when there’s food growing in the beds.
The plan is to have all the construction work finished by Halloween. And when that’s done, the volunteers can return and begin getting ready for the next growing year. We’ll also get an idea of how the land beyond the raised beds will be used. Hopefully there is space for some fruit trees.
In the meantime, there has been a lively conversation on Facebook about what the garden will be called. I’m keen to know what the decision is, so I can make a slate sign to go on the gate.