Friends of Abbey Gardens

Elizabeth Whitbourn (English Heritage field adviser) and Alan Cathersides (English Heritage Senior Landscape Manager) came for an quick visit to see Abbey Gardens. Elizabeth asked Alan to join her and have a look at the grass that has been growing and give his opinion on why it does not grow on the east side of the site.

According to Alan he does not think there is any problem with the soil on the community garden side. The soil itself is finer then on the other side and the rain helped form a tuff and thin top layer which is hard for the seeds to penetrate. all it needed is a gentle rake to break the surface and make it easier for the seeds to take root.

It was also good to hear Alans opinion on the contaminated soil and on growing vegetables. In general he was less concerned as plants would simply not grow should the contamination be too strong. Or they would grow and die early. The plants that do grow are usually safe to consume. Traditionally potato plants have been used to cleanse the soil.

The tomato plants that have been popping up all around the site are growing nicely and soon we can have the first harvest. Apparently it is quite a common site to see tomatoes growing as the seeds travel easily and do not necessarily get digested. The roots are not going deep and should not penetrate into the lower soil (below 30cm) which is the original and slightly contaminated soil.

Also some good advise on fruit trees and how to grow them without damaging the remains. Nina and Karen had suggested to grow fruit trees along the long south facing wall of the site. If a paving stone is placed around a meter into the ground it will stop the roots to go down and instead grow sideways. The deep roots are needed for stability of the tree and will get suppressed. However since the tree is supported by the wall this is not a problem. Same would go for the fruit trees that were proposed at the west end of the site which grow around a metal frame work.

It has been a real pleasure to see how the transformation of the site has inspired people and attracted visitors. Even though no gardening has happened as yet the promise of the future garden is capturing peoples imagination.

This entry was posted on Sunday, August 3rd, 2008 at 10:17 pm and is filed under Progress.