This is a summary of the final photos for all our bigger spaces. For details of the transformation of each space see the “Big Spaces” page.
Category Archives: Big Spaces
The Wycliffe Fruit Aisle
We stocked this long, formerly weed-occupied space along a fence with as many fruit bushes as we could so I like to call the Wycliffe Fruit Aisle. Wycliffe Road is very near to one of the large supermarkets in Cambridge, but residents should soon be able to pick their own soft fruit, including strawberries, blueberries, tayberries, raspberries and blackcurrants. A great example of how you can use fruit bushes instead of other evergreen shrubbery to landscape.
Annuals vs perennials on your street
On Norfolk Street, this small bed outside Ashley Court was full of weeds, especially vine weed, but it was cleared and offered to us to plant some new plants in. We suggested some edibles, and in the first year we tried out some purple sprouting broccoli, squash and courgettes. Caterpillars ate all the courgettes but the squash and broccoli did quite well. The following year we planted some perennials, including gooseberry bushes, curry plants and strawberries. The thick mulch keeps the weeds away and the bed is very low-maintenance.
A river of strawberries
The front beds at Browns Field Community Centre were in need of a little work in the spring of 2012. A long hedge of roses and some ornamental grasses had a space between them which had formerly been wildflowers. We put down a rich layer of compost and mulch, and planted strawberries, herbs, raspberry bushes, and lots of nasturtiums to give the space some colour. In between the two beds was a walkway that looked like a bridge, so we emphasized flowing elements in this design, with big clumps of herbs and flowers connected by a river of strawberries.
Pre-empting the paving
-
- Winter 2011
-
- Spring 2012, just after planting.
-
- Spring 2013
-
- Summer 2013
This space was a small empty lot that had suffered some vandalism and most of the original plants landscaped there had died off. The city council was considering paving over it, but with permission we instead planted it with 3 apple trees, a hazel tree and several herbs and soft fruit plants. It’s now thriving under the watchful eye of some supportive neighbours. A brilliant transformation!
George IV Street Geometric
This is our second space at Hanover Court, which was quite a bit larger than the first. Some recycling bins were removed from the area, opening up this space underneath a tree. We chose a more geometric pattern with small evergreen shrubs, including Winter Savory, Prostrate Rosemary, Curry, and Silver Thyme. The colours of the leaves will complement each other year-round, and each has a different colour flower.
The Edible Roundabout
At the intersection of Leys Road and Highworth Avenue is a small, enclosed circular space whose previous landscaping had grown a little wild. We were offered the opportunity to give the space a makeover by the city council and gladly took it. For this space we opted for a circular design to match the overall shape of the space, using rings of strawberries and chives, as well as relocating the existing sage and lavender plants into more of a cluster in the middle around an ornamental plant. You can’t tell from the late spring photos above, but there are numerous tulips that we rearranged in a circular manner around the space as well, for that bright splash of colour as soon as the winter is over.
visit from the permaculture guild
tree planting
fundraising events
