A trip to see other community gardens: Moon Garden at Clydebank

Hello again
This is post number two about a trip to see other community gardens to glean inspiration and insight into how to create a successful community garden.

As has been said, the time of year was perhaps not ideal but yesterday some of us certainly got to see the bare essentials of a couple of community gardens in the Glasgow area. Many thanks to Argyll & Bute Council for funding the trip, which included a two-course lunch at a very pleasant Italian restaurant.

Here are some visual impressions -- photos taken on a less than wonderful day weather-wise.

In this post, some features from the Moon Garden, Nairn Street, Dalmuir, Clydebank:
A quote from the West Dunbartonshire constituency annual report, April 2008:
"The garden is the latest Creatively Enriching Lives project in Dalmuir. Artist Tom McKendrick, the creative development officer for Dalmuir Park Housing Association, explained the design, some of which is connected to the shipbuilding industry.
"The project was financed by Communities Scotland, Greenspace and the DPH with CD Environmental Design
and Averton Landscapes doing the landscaping architecture. The Dalmuir Plots Association is also involved."
There are five similar iron gates to this enclosed garden; they all play rather whimsically and beautifully on the theme of the moon and stars and clouds.
A couple of details that caught our attention:

Labels that tell everyone what the plants are.
A row of berry-bearing shrubs has recently been planted.
A sculpted "special" that finishes one of the walls made of brick.
A path runs crossways in this wee plot set aside for growing vegetables –
or whatever someone may fancy growing.

An eye-catching sculpture provides interest even when there is little planting to be admired.

Finally, if you click here, you will find a pdf published by the Dalmuir Park Housing Association (July/Aug 2006).

A trip to see other community gardens: Rosshead Community Garden in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire

Hello again

The time of year was perhaps not ideal but yesterday some of us certainly got to see the bare essentials of a couple of community gardens in the Glasgow area. Many thanks to Argyll & Bute Council for funding the trip, which included a two-course lunch at a very pleasant Italian restaurant.

Here are some visual impressions -- photos taken on a less than wonderful day weather-wise.

In this post, some sculptural features from the Rosshead Community Garden in Alexandria, Dunbartonshire.

The project goes back to 2003 but work actually commenced in January 2004. In November 2004, it was shortlisted in the Open Spaces section of the Dynamic Place Awards sponsored by Scottish Natural Heritage.
Anyone requiring more information about this project, please leave your contact details in a comment at the end of this post and we will get back to you. Your contact details will not be published.

A representative of the West Dunbartonshire Environment Trust met us and took us round the four gardens that make up the entire complex.
One passage from the Factsheet he handed out merits being quoted here:
"The first issue to be tackled was the provision of facilities for young teenagers who had 'nothing to do'. ... The teen activity area ... comprises a mini BMX area, basketball training zone, hangout shelter, footpaths and landscaping situated beside an existing 5-a-side football pitch. Children were also involved in tree planting and painting equipment. A positive aspect of the project was the children's sense of ownership for their new facilities, with next to no vandalism being experienced. Following this, a younger children's play [area] was constructed together with a toddler play area shortly after."
And this is what that area looks like mid-February 2009, over four years after it was created:
Some sculptural elements:

An old tree had to be felled. The trunk has been left in the garden and has become a very
popular object for people to look at and for kids to clamber all over.
Also, it provides good habitat for any number of wee creepy-crawlies and fungi.

One of two identical rock cages that guard an entrance to the Contemplation Garden.

Not all the gates look quite as forbidding:
A metal fence is concealed by shrubbery. The grid is supposed to keep dogs out, but has proven to be less than ideal as the wheels of babies' strollers get caught and smaller dogs are simply carried across...

A sculptural feature that doubles as a seat – a simple block of "locally sourced green oak".

A heap of large "glacial washed granite boulders" were piled into a heap and provide an eye catcher. More such boulders can be found all over this part of the garden. The blue "pagoda" in the background is a recycled bus shelter from Dunbarton Town Centre. There are actually two of them in the Contemplation Garden.One of the two gates with "tusks".

Some planting will provide interest even on the driechest of days:
Next post: the Moon Garden at Clydebank.