Thursday, October 21, 2010

Vertical Test Garden Update

Long weekend, so it will be time for some vertical gardening, and maybe our first vertical salad? Some plants need replacing and others need some trimming, but overall they are doing well. There are a few bits that need tweeking but it has been useful as a test garden to see what works and what needs working on.

I will probably need to make a new application for funding to build a more substantial and hopefully vandal proof garden. But that will have to wait until we have started work on the fence protection work.




Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Fences

I have been working on designs and ideas for work to go on the fences over the last couple of months. The ideas have  developed from work with students at Dargaville High School. We have been looking at the area and comparing it with a healthy ecosystem at Waipoua Forest. Using this as a starting point we are looking at ways to improve the areas biodiversity along with protecting the fences from graffiti vandalism.

Ideas so far include making insect hotels, encouraging birds and providing birdhouses and developing an extensive planting plan. The ideas to protect the fences have come from looking at the natural defence system of insects, birds and plants. The fence defence system design will be completed after we have done a detailed survey of the area. I am in the process of trying to find someone who can come and help us photograph what we find, including some of the microscopic soil and water creatures. We shall then use these images to make the finished designs.


The images below are some artist impressions of the above ideas.