The above is my simple concept sketch for a car park to community garden transformation. This small site is adjacent to a larger food producing community garden, and was the car park for a former hairdressers (now disused). After some prolonged negotiations, the community in this English city neighbourhood have confirmed agreement to break up all the existing paving and turn this space into a tranquil garden.
The design will use the materials from the existing carpark and pathway to create a drought-tolerant garden for the use of the community, with materials used to contour the site and create a tranquil and interesting place for community members to spend time.
The idea is to create a garden which will more or less take care of itself – a low tolerant design, resilient to the climate changes we are likely to increasingly experience in the coming years. The design aims to combat wetness in winter, and very dry summer months, both through landscaping and through plant choices.
As usual, I am not sharing the entirety of my design for this site on here. But if you would like to know more about the drought tolerant plants included in this design, or would like further details on any of the elements, please do get in touch. And be sure to reach out for help with your own community project, or drought-tolerant garden design.
EWSP Consultancy 