AvantGARDENING

This site is focused on gardening and public spaces. How are we to work together to improve our environments.

Thursday, 22 July 2010

Out & about

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Posted by Leon Sparkes at 07:57

Labels: public space

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Mr Sparkes

Leon Sparkes: Illographic Avant Gardener.

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Project Garden Space KINGS HEATH PARK 03/06/09

During the past three days work has begun in earnest on the garden space at Kings Heath Park. The recent spell of fantastic sunshine has spurred the project on and some students have given up their free time to help clear one area of the site. The members of the gardening team involved in the project have made good progress with work, staying behind late after college hours and going in on extra days.

Space 2 has now almost been completely cleared with plants being dug up and either re planted on site or potted up and moved to the nursery area. The existing pathway has been lifted up and the matting underneath stored for future use. The gravel has also been moved to space 1 for storage alongside wood stumps that were used to edge the pathway.

The back hedge has started to be pruned to remove lower foliage so that just the stems remain making an interesting feature. A decision will be made on what will happen to the one remaining tree on the site. The group has started to single dig the area over and we hope to borrow a rotivator and member of the park staff to supervise its use.

At the moment work has really concentrated on space 2 and space 1 has been used as a storage area and outdoor office! Most of the plants in space 1 will remain there and features will be added and the existing decking will be painted to enhance its appearance.

Over the coming weeks the group will work together choosing and buying plants. We are waiting to hear about funding from the princes trust and cannot buy things until then. We should get a decision within a couple of weeks and in the meantime we are making the most of existing resources the park has to offer. Staff have been very helpful, offering good advice and helping to source plants for the project. The group is very enthusiastic and we cannot wait to start planting the entire area.

Kings Heath Park

Gardens Weekend

THE START OF THE PROJECT. Midnight Home Gardening

In Late November i was at a friends and suddenly decided to do midnight gardening. Overwhelmed with enthusiasm the moon shone bright and lit the garden space. I took pictures of various plants and objects and decided to write a few ideas down on paper. The following day i woke up and made a start tidying the garden by raking old debris into green plastic bags, clearing the path way and re turfing the side soil. Thus the idea of avant gardening came to be.

Embark on this journey and follow the blog as updates will be made showing progression of the current project and status.Any enquirers regarding Avant Gardening please write to the above email.

Midnight Gardening

Continuation

Back where things started.

Rachael and I are continuing to make improvements to our garden spaces.

As the spring season blooms, new shoots, flowers and bees are appearing.

While it’s been sunny we have both spent the past two days working in our gardens.

Continuation

Kings Heath Park

KingsHeath Park

I currently studied NVQ Level 2 in Amenity Horticulture at Kings Heath Park Birmingham.
I wanted to study this course due to working on my garden space at home over the summer. I'm interested to know more about our environment and how we can maintain our small green spaces. With global awareness and concerns i ended up researching and contacting the local council to see if i could get involved with garden maintenance. Lucky i managed to join the course run by Bournville College.

Kings Heath Park

GARDEN PROJECT AREA

Early in 2009 i was given a small garden space measuring 12 meters by 6 meters to redevelop. From an artistic background i wanted to show case creative ideas relating to the garden environment. My aim is to create an instillation using recycled and reclaimed items. I am currently in the process of researching other garden spaces and designing the garden area, working with colleague Rachael Hawkins and other members of the course.

GARDEN PROJECT AREA

Cotteridge Park

Me my colleague took a trip to Cotteridge Park and took photographs of the work being done there by the group 'friends of cotteridge park' We did this to see how other public spaces are being developed. Cotteridge Park had some very interesting features which gave inspiration and ideas for our project.

Cotteridge Park

Cotteridge Park 14/1/09

I and my colleague Rachael Hawkins went site seeing to find out how other local parks are being developed. We first took a visit to Cotteridge Park. The land covers 22 Acers with children’s park, tennis court, skate/bike ramp, large pond, bowling green, community area, compost and natural creative features.

Friends of Cotteridge Park have voluntarily organized and put together events and have used natural materials to create focal features within the park for the public to interact with and enjoy. We really like the fact that the people of Cotteridge Park have participated and decided to take action to make their park a better place. There are creative features that have been built which we really like and wish to do the same.

we reckon there could be more creative features as the park is big enough suggesting more walk paths, and constructed features.

Cotteridge Park

Harborne Park

Harborne Cemetry

Harborne Park and Cemetery 21/1/09

In Harborne is a large park called Grove Park covering 0.53 kilometers with pond, small play area, few seats and small flower beds and shrubs. The park is near Harborne high street shopping area as well as the local church St Peters old church road. Within the last year the park has had a makeover with the new pond in place and a children's park. This park could be more of an attraction considering there is a busy high street and schools near by. It would benefit by having more natural features and public engagement such as more seating areas, pathways and focal points for the public to interact with.

Not far from Harborne park is a cemetery next to council housing. (Ferncliffe Rd) There is a walk way path that leads towards St Peters Church and to the main church yard. This far end feels detached from the cemetery as there are no fences that separate the public from the respected grounds. Tomb stones run next to a local school playground and graffiti markings and dumping waste are side by side. We feel this area should be given attention either combing or separating the cemetery from the surrounding area.

Peace Garden 6/2/09

Not far from China town Arcadian, between Five Ways and Holloway Head Rd is a peace garden measuring 84meters by 64meters.

This is a respected memorial ground that gives tribute to the citizens of Birmingham who died in the war in 1940 -1943.

The remaining front entrance was kept and the rest of the building had been destroyed due to bomb blasts in World War 2. The building was St Thomas’s Church built in 1829. It’s nice to see part of the ruin still existing; it allows us to see a part of history. The grounds had been redeveloped for the public to see and engage to read quotes and passages from around the world.

Peace Garden

Peace Garden 6/2/09

I like this square ground as there are seats, shrubs and trees to relax in. Again I see that this area can be utilized to put on a respected event that relates to the war heroes. Whilst documenting the area I found that homeless people had been sleeping there. Blood, rubbish, graffiti, and human faeces were on floor and on side walls. This disgusted me and was a great shame to see. Concerns of the local council comes to mind and with such a sacred ground an area such as this should be monitored or cleaned on a regular basis to protect and respect.

Peace Garden

GARDEN DESIGN

From taking pictures and transferring into Photoshop, i drafted out design ideas that would help develop this project further, taking into consideration colour, shape and form.

Building diagrams and structures which explore the relationship between the home and garden have been drawn. I have divided the garden area into three sections allowing me to experiment with chosen themes.

GARDEN DESIGN

Experimental design L.C.Sparkes

GARDEN DESIGN

Experimental design L.C.Sparkes

GARDEN DESIGN

Experimental design L.C.Sparkes

LANSCAPE12.

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Thursday, 22 July 2010

Out & about

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Peace Garden 6/2/09

Peace Garden

Peace Garden 6/2/09

Peace Garden

Peace Garden