Our Communal Area
In a final push to complete the main work on the communal area, we're delighted to announce the restoration of the wall to the east side of the hill and beside the main site path. Designed for easy maintenance (the most important factor in relation to its ongoing success) the space can be mowed and pruned and planted by volunteers as it develops.
Now, as well as being an all year round place to meet friends and other gardeners, the communal area accommodates the annual plant sale and the autumn harvest event as well as committee meetings in fine weather.
|
|
The communal area grew out of a rubble (foundations of old outbuildings) and weed infested area (bindweed/nettles/dockens) that had become unmanageable. In past decades it was a dumping ground for leaves and grass clippings from local parks, which unfortunately included plastic and rubbish. However, it was exceedingly fertile as the weed growth showed.
How we got there!
2016: Following Edinburgh Council's JCB levelling in early winter, volunteer plot holders cleared and covered the area in black plastic in order to eliminate the worst of the perennial weeds. Lifting the plastic this spring has allowed us to develop the new space. It has been turfed and edged with white clover (good for pollinators and consolidating sloping ground). Apple (Katy, Discovery, Sunburst and Clydeside) and pear trees (x2 Williams), a weeping cotoneaster and benches have arrived through donation from plot holders.
2017: The central area was turfed and a memorial bench for John (Jock) Banks was bought with a very kind and generous donation by his son Ally. It now takes pride of place on the communal area near to his plot. A new plaque has recently added commemorating his close friend Jimmy White.
2018: A new leaf mould and grass cuttings compost bay, constructed in February on the boundary to the car park, makes collecting and delivering material more accessible. The communal area opened on a sunny May Sunday in conjunction with our annual plant sale which raised funds to further develop the space and bring other improvements to the site.
2019: 10 new bike racks were added to our facilities courtesy of the council.
2021: The area around the turfed area remained covered in black plastic until the winter when it was removed and the sloping area was cleared of weed roots and debris. The rubble was used by council contractors to rebuild the wall to the east of the area which retained the earth making the area safe. A short hedge of hawthorn and blackthorn was added behind the new wall. The sloping area was seeded with a mixture of clover and wild flowers but it was found that weeds still continued to dominate, so grass seed was sown and the area is now mowed regularly.
2022: White clover and some low-growing wild flowers were seeded in spring to create a matt of growth which will keep down the weeds in future with a bit of strimming through the year. We will add grass seed to this in autumn.The raised bed areas beside the car park which used to be tended by John Banks became part of the communal area as they were not suitable for converting to a plot. They have a display of herbaceous shrubs and flowers in the summer as well as perennial weeds like couch grass.
2016: Following Edinburgh Council's JCB levelling in early winter, volunteer plot holders cleared and covered the area in black plastic in order to eliminate the worst of the perennial weeds. Lifting the plastic this spring has allowed us to develop the new space. It has been turfed and edged with white clover (good for pollinators and consolidating sloping ground). Apple (Katy, Discovery, Sunburst and Clydeside) and pear trees (x2 Williams), a weeping cotoneaster and benches have arrived through donation from plot holders.
2017: The central area was turfed and a memorial bench for John (Jock) Banks was bought with a very kind and generous donation by his son Ally. It now takes pride of place on the communal area near to his plot. A new plaque has recently added commemorating his close friend Jimmy White.
2018: A new leaf mould and grass cuttings compost bay, constructed in February on the boundary to the car park, makes collecting and delivering material more accessible. The communal area opened on a sunny May Sunday in conjunction with our annual plant sale which raised funds to further develop the space and bring other improvements to the site.
2019: 10 new bike racks were added to our facilities courtesy of the council.
2021: The area around the turfed area remained covered in black plastic until the winter when it was removed and the sloping area was cleared of weed roots and debris. The rubble was used by council contractors to rebuild the wall to the east of the area which retained the earth making the area safe. A short hedge of hawthorn and blackthorn was added behind the new wall. The sloping area was seeded with a mixture of clover and wild flowers but it was found that weeds still continued to dominate, so grass seed was sown and the area is now mowed regularly.
2022: White clover and some low-growing wild flowers were seeded in spring to create a matt of growth which will keep down the weeds in future with a bit of strimming through the year. We will add grass seed to this in autumn.The raised bed areas beside the car park which used to be tended by John Banks became part of the communal area as they were not suitable for converting to a plot. They have a display of herbaceous shrubs and flowers in the summer as well as perennial weeds like couch grass.
