Windmill Community Gardens is home of the climate friendly gardeners project. It’s a great place in Bobbersmill where anyone can go to find out more about growing food in a changing climate. On the garden they have implemented the practice of Hügelkultur which translates to mound garden in English: the practice of growing plants (edible in Windmill Garden’s case) on piles of rotting wood as a form of raised bed gardening and composting in situ. When used as a method of disposing large volumes of wood debris and waste-wood this method accomplishes carbon sequestration. This site is a space for experimental food growing using low carbon techniques. Image source: windmillcommunitygardens.blogspot.com (NGFP).
RISC is an excellent example of permaculture in practice and is presented as a roof-top forest garden, inspired by Robert Hart, the forebearer of the forest garden movement. This garden was designed as a global garden to reflect the inner connectedness of life, society, history and culture on earth. It is a statement about the importance of biodiversity and the value of ecological legacy for future generations. It is a self-sustaining system and the forest garden features, many perennial plants with multiple uses, some familiar some more obscure but all important. Image source: www.gardenvisit.com (NGFP).
In 1995, Eli Zabar built rooftop greenhouses atop The Vinegar Factory and became NYC’s first commercial rooftop farmer, growing tomatoes, herbs and micro-greens. A waste-not pioneer Eli realised he could harvest the waste heat from the pastry ovens and began to produce out of season tomatoes on the roof. Over two decades later, Eli has expanded his urban garden across two rooftops and 22,000 square feet, utilizing three growing mechanisms to produce tomatoes, herbs, micro-greens, sunflowers and more. His most recent experiment involves vertical gardens and a long-time favourite strawberry variety, Mara des Bois. Image source: www.verticalfarm.blogspot.com (NGFP).
3. Food growing spaces
Food growing is well documented as a means to improve mental and physical health. The King’s Fund report on Gardens and Health and (2016) stated how tending a garden is a perfect way to stay functionally fit. The Nottingham Citizens' Good Living Survey (+300 responses) revealed that there is an overwhelming appetite for food growing. From raised beds and orchards, to using poly-tunnels and vertical growing, and caves to grow mushrooms. Food growing spaces can be large areas for community supported agriculture or very small. People can grow food using a bucket or bag to grow potatoes at their front door, or use a hanging basket to grow herbs. We tend to think of urban food growing as a modern activity but Nottingham has a long history of food growing from which we can learn. There are many reminders of that legacy: Wollaton Park was once a farm, St Ann’s Allotments have provided detached gardens since the 1830’s and the iconic Green’s Windmill; all provide living evidence that urban agriculture was a part of everyday life. Whilst once common market gardens have gone, the city’s urban agricultural legacy continues in a well-established network of allotment spaces, community gardens as well as thriving gardens in schools and universities. Increasing local food supply presents opportunities for people to grow food to sell, barter or share produce increasing access to fresh, affordable food for all.
Design Criteria
3.1 Provide spaces for communal/social growing, including raised beds to cater for every age and ability.
3.2 Demonstrate how the inclusion of edible perennials and bee/pollination-friendly species was a key consideration in any landscape proposal.
3.3 Provide vehicular and waste collection access to a highway-adoptable standard to every communal/social growing space.
3.4 Provide water supply, adequate drainage points, electricity points, lighting, storage and seating to every communal/social growing space.