CORRECTED 14 JULY
It’s happening!
We have signed the formal agreement with the Council for the improvements we have proposed, so we can start to build the Community Garden and plan planting in time for later summer and autumn. We now need your active involvement to take our exciting project forward. Here’s some important information about how you can help.
Erection of picnic table and planning the site
We are expecting a pallet delivery of the picnic table on Thursday 7 July in the Broadway car park adjacent to the Age UK Centre. They have kindly agreed for us to unpack and take it through their side gate to the field. We will be erecting the picnic table and marking out the site for siting the raised beds. We will need several helpers for this. If you can spare a couple of hours on Thursday, please text or WhatsApp Colin on 07941 850015. I can then let you know as soon as I get an exact delivery time on Thursday.
Building the raised beds
We are planning to start the build on Wednesday 20 July. We will need a working party to lift the planks, screw them together and secure. The planks are pre-cut to size, so assembly should be quite straightforward, although some levelling of the ground may be needed. Please message me if you can help, indicating times you are available that day/evening or on the following Thursday-Sunday. Im not sure how long we will need, depending on the number of helpers. We will arrange further sessions once we have a delivery date for soil/compost arranged to fill the beds. Even if you can’t help with the building work, please come along to meet fellow group members and to discuss ideas. You can see the design plans here.
Planning and managing the Community Garden
At our last meeting, the Committee agreed that groups of individual Friends members or community groups (e.g. Age UK, Scouts, Pre-School and others) should take “ownership” of a bed, initially for a calendar year. We urgently need a small group of people to co-ordinate the allocation, snd to develop some guidelines and planting ideas for the beds. It will be good to have an attractive mix of pollinator-friendly flowers, herbs and edible crops, following permaculture principles as far as possible. Committee member Alex Stafford has kindly agreed to coordinate this. Please contact her by email alexandra.stafford@btinternet.com or text/WhatsApp 07968 105326 if you would like to be involved in running one of the beds.
Planning planting on the raised bank
We also need to develop our plans for planting pollinator-friendly spring bulbs and flowering plants on the bank. If you are already a keen gardener, perhaps you can start to sow some some seeds in modules for transplanting in late summer/autumn or collect divided plants for transplanting. Again, please contact Alex Stafford if you have ideas or can help with this.
Collecting rainwater
Plymstock Community Centre have kindly agreed that we can install rainwater butts on the section of land that they own to the rear of the Age UK building. This should allow us to collect sufficient water for the garden beds in all but the driest of periods. We are very grateful to the trustees of the Community for their agreement to this concession and for the help they have given in facilitating our meetings during our development.
More support from our Councillors
Cllr Bill Wakeham visited the site today and met several members to discuss the plans for the garden and wider biodiversity improvements. He is very enthusiastic about our goal and its importance as a focus for community activities. He is providing support from his Community Fund allocation, which will be used for installing the water butts and signage, adding to the support already provided by Cllrs Rebecca Smith and Kathy Watkin. We are privileged to have such strong backing from all three ward councillors.
Friends of Downhorn Park 