Our Plans for the Garden
Designing the Garden
This is our Initial Sketch of the garden design by our Garden Designer Lara Hall, based on our ideas combined with the community’s suggestions and comments. This has been paid for with £500 of lottery funding.
We have consulted local residents on the proposed design and have now received £50,000 in further lottery funding to pay for building the garden.
Work on the garden should take place in late summer 2010, with a start to planting in the autumn and winter.
Railings and Gates
We have received £9,400 via Norwich City Council for the installation of secure railings and a gate for the garden.
The money was provided as part of RESPECT funding provided to Norwich City Council by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in recognition of Norwich's work to tackle Antisocial Behaviour as a RESPECT Action Area.
Gates are currently being constructed by Rackham Engineering.
Trees and Shrubs
We intend to retain as many of the original trees and shrubs as possible. We plan to add a small orchard and other edible shrubs and bushes, such as nuts and berries.
Raised Beds
We plan to grow vegetables in raised beds, with access for wheelchair users.
Rainwater collection and storage
We have consulted a professional rainwater harvesting company, who have told us that it would be impractical to harvest rainwater from all the houses on Valentine Street that back onto the garden.
We now plan to collect rainwater from the roofs of the St Benedict’s View business units and number 12 Valentine Street and use this to water the garden.
Feeding the soil
We will need to increase the fertility and water retaining properties of the soil. To do this we will make compost using garden waste from the Community Garden and the community, which will also prevent this waste from going into landfill.
Three of our members have been on a Master Composters' Course to learn the best ways to do this.
