Street-side Gardening

Discussion in 'Planting, growing, nurturing Plants' started by Crystal Lil, Dec 12, 2007.

  1. Crystal Lil

    Crystal Lil Junior Member

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    Hi - for those of you who have given me advice so far (and anyone else who's interested) here are some photos of the garden I've built in the council land between my house and the road.

    https://photos.permaculture.org.au/index.php?cat=10225

    I'm having a great time with it and all the neighbours are really interested - it's quite the talking point! I like to think it's a contribution to community spirit.

    I'd be really interested to hear anyone's comments about it - especially if you have any ideas about what I could do with the bottom half of the bank - it's a bit too steep for me to terrace, unless I build quite a big retaining wall along the bottom (about a metre high?) and I don't think I've got the motivation or means to make that happen. Also, do you think I should get rid of all the grass round about the boxes? Any suggestions along those lines?

    I've been quite random with my planting and have probably planted lots of things too close to each other. I've been trying to follow the Jackie French approach, with a bit of companion planting thrown in for good measure. I've just read Linda Woodrow's Permaculture Home Garden and am now lusting over having enough space for a Mandala/Chook Dome system. I would like to incorporate a little pond in the middle of this garden, though, and I've bought a baby's bath from the Sally Army for this purpose. Not sure if it's a bit dangerous for any prospective pond life, what with the proximity to the road and all the neighborhood cats. Any suggestions most welcome.

    Thanks,

    Lil.
     
  2. gnol

    gnol Junior Member

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    lol....pretty good.

    Lots of nice things growing. I know where my fresh produce come if I lived in your neighbourhood. :lol:

    What about the cats? What is the consensus of cats doing their business in a veggie patch? Good? Bad?

    My dad hates cats doing the stuff in the veggie patch. Reckons it is very unclean. Have to admit I would not like it either.

    gnol
     
  3. Crystal Lil

    Crystal Lil Junior Member

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    That's funny - it's the first thing everyone says to me "people will pinch stuff" - but no-one has yet! In fact, I don't think anyone in the street would because they all see me in the garden every day and I've got to know them all. I also reckon I don't mind if people help themselves to a bit, as long as there's enough left for me! Time will tell.

    As for the cats pooping in the garden beds, that happens a bit and they've managed to destroy a few of my seedlings by scratching up the soil but since the veggies have all grown up and are covering most of the soil, they seem to stay away from it. Also, I've got straw and leaves mulching the ground and they seem to like that less than the bare soil.

    I'm thinking it would be really nice to have a wildflower "meadow" on the bottom part of the slope. Anyone have any ideas about how to do that without digging up the grass? Would it work if I just sheet mulched it with wet cardboard and then covered that with a thin layer of soil/compost and scattered the seeds? With it coming up to full on summer, would the soil dry out too quickly?
     
  4. dylanz

    dylanz Junior Member

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    Excellent Crystal !

    I have a "tiny" little strip of grass between our road and sidewalk... and have been wondering what to plant. My partner doesn't want edibles, as we have a ton of black smoke spewing trucks driving by all day long.

    Any suggestions for non-edibles would be great !
    This is definitely one of those things that opens eyes... and can't wait to get it going :)
     
  5. Crystal Lil

    Crystal Lil Junior Member

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    Hi dylanz

    I'm not so sure about non-edibles - maybe wildflowers? Or a nice big row of cheery sunflowers? Just to let you know that before I went ahead with my garden, I contacted the City Council to ask if it was okay. They didn't have any problem with it as long as it wasn't going to be obstructing the views of car drivers coming out of intersections etc. They also said they would let their contractors know not to dig up my stuff - and so far it's been left well alone! You might want to get in touch with your local council just to make sure no-one digs up your plantings and re-sows grass!

    I know what you mean about fumes, but in the book I've just read by Linda Woodrow, she reckons that there are just as many fumes spluttering all over supermarket bought veggies - so if that's your only other option, it might be worth a go! I guess it would depend on just how tiny the space is.

    Lil.
     
  6. gnol

    gnol Junior Member

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    Nah.. I would not do that. I would at least leave half a dozen of my homebrews in exchange for you.

    gnol
     
  7. Crystal Lil

    Crystal Lil Junior Member

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    Sounds like a fair deal!!
     
  8. katrina

    katrina Junior Member

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    why not a herb garden for people walking by to pick from? it will look beautiful, look after itself and be productive and a special treat for people passing by. a lady near us has a giant parsley bed between the footpath and the street.
    i've planted a white sapote out the front of our place, in the hope that, in years to come it will provide the neighborhood with fruit and shade
    kat
     
  9. Crystal Lil

    Crystal Lil Junior Member

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    Thanks Kat. I have herbs planted round the garden boxes but more herbs would also be good. I'd quite like to grow a rosemary hedge and a lavender hedge - though I'm not sure how long it would take to do that!

    I suppose I was thinking that the bottom of the bank is quite steep and the part that can't be reached from the footpath is quite awkward to get at, so it might be easier just to have flowers there rather than food that needs to be picked. Plus it would bring more bees and other insects. I'd be interested to know if anyone's got any advice about whether it would be okay to cover the bank in cardboard and either make wee holes in it to plant things through (eg herbs) or what to do with wildflower seeds???
     

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