avery hill campus community food garden – ongoing

Things are beginning to take shape in the community food garden over at the Avery hill campus of the University of Greenwich. The first phase of the forest garden has been planted and the large pond area is being prepared for planting.

The raised beds are into a second season and have been tended by staff and students on campus under the guidance of the sustainability team. Very productive they have been too!

At the end of last year, we led the construction of the on site polytunnel which is now full of seedlings ready for the coming months. Around the same time we also finalised the detailed planting plans for the forest garden areas. The first phase of planting will begin soon and will include over sixty varieties of tree and shrub species. All of the proposed planting has a use within the forest garden system. The detailed design of the forest garden was inspired by our visit to Martin Crawford’s forest garden in Devon.

The forest garden site is undergoing an intense period of reinstatement and recovery after being used as an ‘equine staging facility’ during the London Olympic Games. As well as GWAZAE sub soil aeration treatment currently being carried out, we have proposed a bespoke green manure seed mix that will rapidly add organic matter to the soil whilst improving structure and much needed drainage. The seed mix will also provide bee forage and will build fertility through the use of nitrogen fixing Clovers. This groundcover layer will work it’s magic underneath the canopy planting of the forest garden as it establishes and will be replaced by herbaceous perennials and other groundcover plants in the next phase in a couple of years time. Lots to do in the coming weeks!

 

John with a slightly threatening pumpkin….

All hands needed!

Weaved willow raised bed workshop. Some welcome time away from the office for all!