An Even Better Way to Build Wicking Garden Beds – A Cracker of an Idea!!

From challenges, great ideas can come!!

One of the Green Square, community’s raised garden beds, has deteriorated – to the point it needs to be replaced.  You wouldn’t believe just how much research, discussion and community / council consultation the drivers of the Green Square Growers has put into coming up with a solution.

The raised garden bed was made from recycled wood.  The bed uses ‘wicking reservoir’ technology that we built inside the garden bed.  The bed also has an inbuilt worm farm.

Wicking Garden Bed – ‘how it works’ diagram. 

The above diagram shows the wicking garden bed design.  The challenge we have had with this design, came from the tremendous outward pressure from the water reservoir, causing the wood to bow and bend (over time).

Making smaller wicking garden beds (1 m x 1m) can help to limit the bowing of the wood but we weren’t happy with this solution.

Then Sabena and her husband Peter came up with a cracker of an idea!  Instead of using builders plastic in the wicking bed design, use a large food grade plastic container (which can be recycled and rescued from landfill).

These food grade plastic contains, are selling on Ebay (2nd hand).

These containers will make the whole garden bed structure stronger, less prone to leaking and hence last longer.  If repairs to the wood is needed in the future, we can easily replace the wood – as it is not part of the structure but really only has an aesthetic purpose (making the raised garden bed look pretty and traditional).

The Green Square Growers, plan to build either two or three beds together (with the timber frame built around all of the containers together – giving the illusion of one big bed).

Each garden bed will be approximately 1.3 metres x 1.1 metres.  If two are position together, then the total bed size will be 2.6 metres x 1.1 meters.  If three beds are position together, then the total bed size will be 3.9 meters x 1.1 meters.

The new raised garden bed design will require a small wooden ‘lip’ at the top to hide the plastic container – however this is only for aesthetic purposes too.

What do you think of Sabena and Peter’s cracker of an idea?

Update on Our New Community Garden Plan

Thursday night I met with those excited and dedicated to building a new community garden in our home town.

The agenda was to agree on our united vision statement and complete our grand community garden design. We achieved this with humour, fun and excitement!

We have not only agreed on the final ‘grand design’ but also agreed on identifing what items are important to complete for stages one and two of the garden building process.

Stage One (by Sep 2015)
shown as lime green / yellow on the map plan

* First water tank to be fixed to the community hall or toilet block.

* Turning the only existing garden (in the community garden area) into a ‘no dig garden’.  Possibly upgrading the retaining wall and adding stepping stones.  This garden will be mainly herbs and benefical insect, attracting flowers plants. At the top of this garden is adjacent to an existing high, wire fence.  Therefore this area lends itself to growing beans and peas etc.

* To build at least three raised garden, wicking, worm farm beds.

* For fun, build a sign post at the entrance of the garden – signaling what is to come in the future.

Stage Two (by February 2016)
Shown as pink on the map plan

* Install a three bay compost system.

* Install worm farm / farms.

* Complete all the raised garden, wicking, worm farm beds.

*  Paving around the beds.

* Built our meeting area

Future Stages Yet to Be Confirmed

*  Non citrus fruit tree orchard
*  Nut tree orchard
*  Citrus fruit tree orchard
*  Pigs & sheep
*  Chickens and chicken run
*  Strawbale gardens
*  Glass house
*  BBQ area
*  Cob oven area
*  Aquaponics area
*  Vertical gardens
*  Notice board
*  Bush tucker area
*  Fun and creative sculptures and ‘discoveries’ for children and adults eg sundial, flags, large snake & ladder outside game etc
* Revamp and upgrade to existing children’s play ground

Buxton Community Garden Vision Statement

Together building an edible and sustainable garden that everyone in Buxton can love and belong.  A place to learn, inspire and have fun, while creating a financial way to support our community garden.

A New Space Dedicated to Growing Edibles – the Design

Still taking it easy today with my strained back and general exhaustion (think my body is fighting a bug).

Going forward with my Mum’s help (who is visiting for a month), I am planning on tackling the first stage of our garden plan (as above) for behind the back shed /garage.  First stage is building the retaining wall – which once completed, everything else can be planted, built and completed.

I am excited to be ‘opening’ this previous overgrown and neglected area of our garden, to a creative and beautiful space dedicated to growing edible food.

What to Consider When Designing a New Community Garden?

As previously mentioned, I am again enjoying the starting stages of a new community garden.  If you have read my earlier post (click link above) you will already know, that I believe coming up with a combined, united vision statement is very important.

I have yet to again meet with the others who are committed to building our new community garden but I thought I would share my vision statement I have prepared (still a work in process).

“Together building an edible and sustainable garden that everyone in our town can love and belong.  A place to learn, inspire and have fun, while creating  financial support to care for our community hall.”

Apart from the vision statement, those committed to building the community garden, have also agreed to bring along their garden designs and plans.  I encouraged everyone to dream big and plan what the completed garden will look like.

My grand community garden design is drawn on a very large piece of paper and stuck to our kitchen wall – so I can look and ponder, to ensure I have everything included (in the big dream).

What is included in my community garden design?

* meeting, eating, sitting area
* raised wicking beds with worm tunnels
* herb and sensory garden
* benefical insect attracting plants
* BBQ & cob pizza oven
* chickens? pigs? sheep?
* fruit and nut orchards
* water tanks
* glass house
* shed
* vertical garden
* strawbale gardens
* compost and worm farms
* aquaponics
* no dig gardens
* fun direction sign posts
* green manure plants

If you were in my position, what would you put in your community garden design?  I am looking for suggestions on what I may have overlooked.