Project Report Ten
Balcony Garden Design
Balcony Garden Design
Goals Articulation
To use the available outdoor space in this town flat to grow fresh food to supplement it's three inhabitents diet and lifestyle.
Experiment growing in small spaces, creating energy efficient cycles and learn how to co-create and share workload, knowledge and ideas on a micro-growing scale.
To create an inspiring example for others of what is possible and add to our portfolio of design
Be aesthetically beautiful and incorporate our artistic ideas. Be a nice little place to sit. Attract some wildlife!
The house would like to grow:
To use the available outdoor space in this town flat to grow fresh food to supplement it's three inhabitents diet and lifestyle.
Experiment growing in small spaces, creating energy efficient cycles and learn how to co-create and share workload, knowledge and ideas on a micro-growing scale.
To create an inspiring example for others of what is possible and add to our portfolio of design
Be aesthetically beautiful and incorporate our artistic ideas. Be a nice little place to sit. Attract some wildlife!
The house would like to grow:
- Salad leaves- is number one, quick turn around and nice to be so close
- Herbs- thyme, parsley, basil, sage, chives, coriander, possibly some remedial plants and herbs
- Chard
- Chillies
- Radishes
- Tomatoes and beans, climbers
- Edible flowers
- Flowers to attract insects and bees
Observe
What's there...this is a balcony two meters long with a meter high wood railing around two sides. One side is split between a glass kitchen door and a wooden slatted wall. The end of this there is 50cm ledge that leads to a metal roof.
Access- Through the kitchen door the whole balcony is reachable as well as an arm length of the roof through the window an the gap in the railings.
North Facing, gets a bit of sun in the afternoon in the summer, but really not a lot
Water- there is a tap in the kitchen, and the bathroom is directly above the balcony, there is also guttering above the kitchen door, currently leads off the roof but could be redirected
Micro-climates-
No creatures from what we can see.
Access- Through the kitchen door the whole balcony is reachable as well as an arm length of the roof through the window an the gap in the railings.
North Facing, gets a bit of sun in the afternoon in the summer, but really not a lot
Water- there is a tap in the kitchen, and the bathroom is directly above the balcony, there is also guttering above the kitchen door, currently leads off the roof but could be redirected
Micro-climates-
No creatures from what we can see.
Boundaries
Fertile edges
The allotment up the road should provide some interesting interactions...swapping plants, compost etc
There is a lot of surface area, and opportunities to create different microclimates
Warmth of the house
Time- lots of time for five minutes by each house mate (3) a day because it's like another room in the house
The shop and cafe below sells local produce, it is very community orientated. You can see the balcony from the toilet and courtyard out the back below
The allotment up the road should provide some interesting interactions...swapping plants, compost etc
There is a lot of surface area, and opportunities to create different microclimates
Warmth of the house
Time- lots of time for five minutes by each house mate (3) a day because it's like another room in the house
The shop and cafe below sells local produce, it is very community orientated. You can see the balcony from the toilet and courtyard out the back below
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Limiting Factors:
Time- tenants may only be there for six months
Money- don't have a lot of cash to spend on this
Propagation space- not much space for getting plants started, window sills quite small etc
Storage space- not really an outside space for keeping too many tools etc
Sunlight- Fairly limited
Soil- There is none at the moment!
Gaps in the floor- Balcony floor is slats
Time-not big long periods of time to spend on it
Time- tenants may only be there for six months
Money- don't have a lot of cash to spend on this
Propagation space- not much space for getting plants started, window sills quite small etc
Storage space- not really an outside space for keeping too many tools etc
Sunlight- Fairly limited
Soil- There is none at the moment!
Gaps in the floor- Balcony floor is slats
Time-not big long periods of time to spend on it
Resources
What we have:
Knowledge-Papa, dad, Laura-with the science part! and her classmates and teachers, internet (vertical veg and the like) me and my guild
Potentially quite a few free plants and cuttings- from laura's Horticulture school, papa's garden, the allotment etc
Seeds- from the allotment last year
Containers- from the shop downstairs, wooden crates, tins, pots
Cardboard
Nettles and comfrey- from allotment
Hanging baskets-came from frecycle...more can come from there
Plastic Plant pots- tones of them
Compost- from the kitchen, composter allotment
Needs:
This will be easier to complete once we know the design, but it is likely to include:
Drain pipes, shoe racks
String, wire
Propogater
All types of containers
Water tub
Manure
soil, compost
Straw
Knowledge-Papa, dad, Laura-with the science part! and her classmates and teachers, internet (vertical veg and the like) me and my guild
Potentially quite a few free plants and cuttings- from laura's Horticulture school, papa's garden, the allotment etc
Seeds- from the allotment last year
Containers- from the shop downstairs, wooden crates, tins, pots
Cardboard
Nettles and comfrey- from allotment
Hanging baskets-came from frecycle...more can come from there
Plastic Plant pots- tones of them
Compost- from the kitchen, composter allotment
Needs:
This will be easier to complete once we know the design, but it is likely to include:
Drain pipes, shoe racks
String, wire
Propogater
All types of containers
Water tub
Manure
soil, compost
Straw
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While the weather is chillin... plans are brewing... |
Here's the produce of a little research session into small space growing...Looking for Good Ideas....
Elements we would like after looking at this research...
Mirrors
great stacking systems
somewhere to sit
Ingenious washing line
colours
runner / french beans?
pond
water tank
Fast growing crops in gaps
cool recycled tools
Mirrors
great stacking systems
somewhere to sit
Ingenious washing line
colours
runner / french beans?
pond
water tank
Fast growing crops in gaps
cool recycled tools
Evaluate
It makes sense to grow delicate things here that need a lot of attention frequently because that is what is possible for the housemates. So it looks like the biggest event is propagating, so there will need to be a design in time to follow according to what plants are chosen to make this least effort. The structure can probably be established within a few days, so a list of resources required needs doing soon so we can know what to be collecting and looking out for between now and then. A range of sun and shade loving plants will need to be researched according to the findings in the sector analysis. The plants that need less tending can be zoned further away etc...all clear after sector analysis!
I have decided that it is a more sensible idea to concentrate on growing crops that have a high yield and are fast growing such as leaves, or herbs which you can use often rather than crops that take the whole season to be ready. This is because it is such a small space that it wouldn't be the most efficient way to use it I dont think.
After looking back at the past few steps I can bring together all the elements I would like in a PASTE sheet to make them easy to design in.
I have decided that it is a more sensible idea to concentrate on growing crops that have a high yield and are fast growing such as leaves, or herbs which you can use often rather than crops that take the whole season to be ready. This is because it is such a small space that it wouldn't be the most efficient way to use it I dont think.
After looking back at the past few steps I can bring together all the elements I would like in a PASTE sheet to make them easy to design in.
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PASTE Sheet
This sheet will help me collect together all the elements I would like in the design. I’ve added aesthetics because I think it is an important part of this! Plants Fast growing crops, climbing beans, potatoes, put my chilli plants there, salad, chard, thyme, parsley, basil, sage, chives, coriander, chamomile, mint, carrots, radishes, tomatoes- a few? Courgettes? Nasturtiums and marigolds, fennel and other insectory plants, Plants as wind breaks Animals We want to attract birds, bees, beetles, butterflies Structures Mirrors (strategically placed), seat, washing line, pond, water tank, stacking systems, a place to propagate, bird table, house etc, bug/bee house, place for tools-hooks etc? Tools Small, unusual/home made/ recycled tools, only a few must fit into small area. Trowel, home-made watering can, gloves, secateurs Events We could always invite friends/ people up to see it, from the shop or maybe even be part of an open gardens! Aesthetic Recycled, vibrant colours, art, craft, baskets, rocks, wood, bowls, tins, natural, wind chime? |
Design
In this sector analysis I have put the observed energy passing through the site onto a base map.
By doing this we can design
these elements into our plan in order to use them for best effect. It also
works as a process of elimination; cutting out places you clearly wouldn’t put certain elements.
On top of the sector plan I have layered the zone map. This draws on the observations of access etc to create energy efficiency on the site, dividing it into different zones to design the space in a way that is most useful. I have done this in two dimensions. In this case the zones are
1- human energy
2- main and high maintenence crops
3- storage, water, more natural and less maintained crops
4- rarely accessed crops and wild areas
zone 5 in this case is the house, there will be items in there to do with the garden, and
zone 6 is the wider community
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Then using the information from this we start to place the elements working from pattern to detail. We create a design outline by placing elements in the space in sequence according to a scale of permanence. This is common sense placing given the information we have so the last thing to do after is decide on aesthetics and detail… This is the sequence it's added, and a little explanation of what I've done for each Climate, landform "you need to consider sun exposure and wind direction. You’ll generally be placing taller plants so that they do not obstruct the sunlight of other plants. You may need to break this guideline if you need either the taller plants such as bamboo or a trellis to act as a windbreak to prevent wind damage to other plants." I will need something as a windbreak, and hardy wind resistant plants along the front edge To create warmer micro climates I will position mirrors. I need to make the balcony quite full of plants and protected so that the wind doesn't get in too much and that it is a nice environment for polinators to come to. In this sense it is better to use bigger planter and plant them with groups of plants rather than lots of small pots. Access "Without easy access to everything in your garden, you are more likely to neglect hard to reach areas. You may stuff your site with growing space, but be sure to give yourself 40-cm-wide (16-inch) paths to walk on" The pathway takes up a lot of the balcony, this is a clear space. Water Water butt placed next to downward gutter in shady area that isn't very useful, will be small but have an overflow plug Buildings N/A Wildlife A wild area towards the back of the zone 4, small pond there and nectary and insectory plants at the front to attract Plants It makes sense to have a climber to make best use of the thin and high wall space. It will also provide shelter for the softer plants. Lettuces and things that have a lot of attention will be in zone 2 and so on. Plants will be positioned in height order to make the most of the sunlight. Soil As it may be fairly windy it is a good idea to cover any bare soil with mulch. We have nettle feed and comfrey at the allotment as well as leaf and woodchip mulch. Aesthetics I think it is best use of space to keep the ledge area free so we can sit on that. Perhaps we can find a small folding stool to take out also, but space is very limited! I wanted to design tool storage into this but I think I will have to make a box for it inside. |
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Once this is done we are lead to the placing of real specific elements, from here it is very easy to see WHY we have placed certain elements given what the zones and sector analysis has told us.
All the elements in the design function as a whole to support the aim of.... The site as a whole, to do this effectively needs to be inviting and have health in biodiversity as well as being efficient in function of providing people of the flat with fresh additions to their diet.
I have a focus on a few big pots that we can companion plant into rather than lots of little plastic pots everywhere.
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A brief explanation of this design:
So now we have the design, we need to design in time, and this involves looking at the properties and inputs and outputs of each element.
= Collect, build, propagating depending on planting calendar
Implement
Next achievable steps, where to start!
21 May 2013
Today we started to impliment the design...very exciting! Beans and potatoes planted I found some perfect size containers downstairs which leave enough space between them to walk, and I began planting up all the plants we have collected already into pots with their companions. There is the herb container right by the door, peas and sunflower next to the wall, flowers and insect attractors on the railings with hanging baskets of strawberries and nastertiums. Lettuce is popped into the gaps. Recycling moved in doors.
Questions:
Will it be too windy on the edge for some plants?
Can I stack to make two layers of the boxes either side of the path or is that too shady, how would I do that?
Next steps:
Put up strings for beans
Top up soil on potatoes as they grow
Collect up large milk bottles and wire them up, plant up with soft leaves
find a water butt
21 May 2013
Today we started to impliment the design...very exciting! Beans and potatoes planted I found some perfect size containers downstairs which leave enough space between them to walk, and I began planting up all the plants we have collected already into pots with their companions. There is the herb container right by the door, peas and sunflower next to the wall, flowers and insect attractors on the railings with hanging baskets of strawberries and nastertiums. Lettuce is popped into the gaps. Recycling moved in doors.
Questions:
Will it be too windy on the edge for some plants?
Can I stack to make two layers of the boxes either side of the path or is that too shady, how would I do that?
Next steps:
Put up strings for beans
Top up soil on potatoes as they grow
Collect up large milk bottles and wire them up, plant up with soft leaves
find a water butt
Click below to see project review
