Claiming the Common Ground
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Swedish architect and researcher Lena Jarlov looks at the history and value of creating gardens in the grounds of apartment buildings. She says that these forgotten areas can be transformed into places of rich human exchange. Also, by cultivating food gardens, the tenants reconnect with the earth and can harvest chemical-free vegetables, fruit and berries.
Our towns and cities are full of unrealised gardens and it is important and urgent that we bring them to life. Everywhere in the towns and cities of the industrialised world there are areas with asphalt, unused lawns, thorny, ugly shrubberies or nothing at all; areas which seem to be calling out for somebody to occupy them and make gardens.
Many of these areas are situated on grounds belonging to blocks of flats. The official garden culture in such sites is aimed at making management of these areas as ‘rational’ and effective as possible. The tenants are supposed to use the grounds for play and recreation but not for their own gardening. The result is barren and monotonous environments, which adults only pass on their way to and from home, or in which they stay to look after their children.
It seems that either a famine or a garden cultural revolution is necessary to make the inhabitants in these areas get out, occupy the grounds, and cultivate them. Perhaps we can avoid the famine if we can start the cultural revolution!
Comments (0)Posted on: June 24, 2008
Building a Banana Circle
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A banana-paw paw circle is an excellent way to grow fine fruit and root vegetable crops whilst using up excess water and organic wastes.
by Jan Buckley
Why it works so well
The design is basically a circular swale, and it works well because there’s only one place to mulch, feed and water, which serves many plants. It’s a good spot to put all your kitchen scraps, to use as a handy compost heap, and it can also take cardboard, paper and tin cans. It can make use of excess water run-off, or if water is scarce, greywater can be directed to the circle so water is reused.
On top of that, bananas grow well in a circle, and bear bunches on the outside. Both bananas and paw paws are gross feeders and thrive on nutrients from the decaying organic matter in the central hole.
So you get ample production of fruit, and root crops. You can also plant climbing plants like beans to grow up the banana stalks once they are tall. Volunteer plants like pumpkins and tomatoes are likely to spring up from vegetable scraps in the compost.
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