A TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION AND MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE, AND POSSIBLE FUTURE USES OF LAND SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN Mark Fisher August 2001 [email protected] www.self-willed-land.org.uk Written for Policy and Executive Support Unit City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council CONTENTS INTRODUCTION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS 1 WHAT IS SPRINGFIELD? 2 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION AND MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES 4 – how to use this section. TREES ON SPRINGFIELD 4 Apples, pears and stone fruit –varieties planted 5 Boiler house 5 Bradford banks (Devon banks) 6 Comfrey bed 7 Cuttings beds – now a willow coppice 8 Entrance garden 9 Forest gardens 10 Growing areas 11 Guilds 12 Living willow sculpture – the serpent 13 Pagan temple garden 14 Ponds 15 Shelterbelt wind breaks 16 Spiral arch 17 Spring, watercress and reed beds 18 Swales 19 Tree nurseries 20 Tyre wall 21 Wetland wood 22 Wilderness 23 Wildflower meadow 24 Wildflowers, herbs and ornamentals for use in guilds 24 Wildfood woodland walk 25 Willow absorption area 26 Yin Yang garden 27 THE WILDFLOWER MEADOW – A LANDSCAPING SOLUTION 28 FUTURE USE OF LAND AT SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY 33 GARDENS – including Spare Land Map UPDATED COLOUR SITE PLAN – August 2001 SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN A TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION, MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE AND POSSIBLE FUTURE USES OF THE LAND ELEMENT OF SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN Mark Fisher, August 2001 INTRODUCTION Since its birth, Springfield Community Garden has relied on a variety of means to carry out site development and maintenance, each phase contributing to the whole, but without necessarily putting in place procedures or resources that would safeguard those developments in perpetuity. Thus each new user of the site sets their own priorities based on their need of the land resources of the site and confines their activities and development to that area. The consequence is that some features will disappear if left untended (intentionally or otherwise) as nature may reclaim them. This may be a perfectly acceptable strategy if it arises by conscious decision. On the other hand, some of the elements that are not in daily use need only a little specialist attention each year to continue to perform or develop, butthese need to be recognised and some commitment to upkeep made. The long-term future use of the land at Springfield Community Garden will be enhanced by a technical understanding of the features, assets and resources on site and on a schedule of maintenance to which to refer to. Current users of the site should each need to identify what commitment they can make to the general maintenance of the site over and above their areas of use. New long-term use and users may be found for areas that may not be central to day to day users. And some areas may need a landscaping solution that has longevity and minimal needs for maintenance. These combined could add up to an overall safeguard for the future for land use at Springfield Community Garden. This document brings up to date the identification of site assets and developments, and provides a site plan along with technical descriptions of the landscape elements with their outline maintenance schedules. The maintenance schedules are not definitive; rather they point users in the right direction. Users of Springfield should then equip themselves with the necessary skills to make sustainable use of the elements. Throughout, there is an assessment of the commitment by current users in both interest and resources to the potential maintenance of the assets in the broader land area. The particular management of the open space area to the south frontage of Springfield (known as the wildflower meadow) is addressed by a recommendation that this informal style of soft landscaping is continued, but with the approach of a more deliberate design of the landscape. A review of the soft landscaping options is provided. Information is given on potential new co-users of the site and the options for where this activity may take place,shown on a schematic of the site. An updated version of the colour site plan is given. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This document draws on the knowledge of the many people who have made a significant contribution to the development of Springfield over the years. The original design by Andy Langford, Designed Visions, guided much of that development, and due recognition is given by referring to the design, and in using fragments from its plans for figures throughout this document. Jeremy Cunningham and the results of his community arts projects on Springfield are also commemorated within these pages. Chris Mackenzie Davey was the manager during most of the development and has kindly let me use his colour plan from 1996 for an updated version. I invited the originators of elements on Springfield to write their own piece and thanks go to Sue Whitmore (Yin Yang garden) Micah Duckworth (Living Willow Sculpture –the Serpent) and Rob Dark (Pagan Temple Garden). Many others gave their energy and creativity in the developingdays of Springfield, and include among that many: Connie, Keith, Ray, Irvine, Rob, Terry, Chris, Janet, Sarah, Nicki, Jayne, Jackie, Ruth, Gary, Paul, Geoff, Nina and John. Mark Fisher 1 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN What is SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN? Springfield came about because of the horticultural and social needs of a local community. The Holmewood estate in SE Bradford underwent a wholesale regeneration during the early ‘90s, raising the standard of insulation and heating of homes and, also, providing fencing around gardens to allow a greater level of responsibility. The residents of Holmewood realised that as part of the regeneration, a community horticultural centreon their doorstep would cater for a number of needs. Not only would it be able to provide them with plants for their gardens, but also provide the opportunity to learn about how to garden. In addition, it was unthinkable, for an estate of 10,000 people, that there were no allotment sites where anyone could grow some food. Finally, the community understood that horticulture could be a beneficial therapyfor those with learning difficulties. How do you meet all these needs, but also give the community some sense of ownership of the centre? The solution, back then in 1993, was to try out Permaculture Design as it seemed to be a system that could mix together all the plants, people, buildings and maybe animals that would make up the centre -and come out with something that all worked together. More than that, local people could be involved in the design and building as the methods used in Permaculture Design actively encourage their participation. PERMACULTURE For those of us interested in Permaculture, the development of Springfield Community Gardens was an opportunity to test out its approach towards land useand social design. Permaculture has often been explained as having two meanings: permanent agricultureorpermanentculture. It is easier to understand the first explanation, as it could be understood to be a sustainablesystem of producing food. However, Permaculture is more than just a system of chemical-free farming since it stresses the importance of the whole farmscapein contributing to the natural balanceand sustainable use of resources, and it integrates social endeavour and social organisation into the design. In Permaculture systems, there is a preference for the use of perennial planting schemes to achieve those aims of sustainability because this is the lesson learnt from natural systems, the inspiration for Permaculture (i.e. nitrogen fixation, mycorrhizal fungi, dynamic accumulation, and mineral recycling). Thus it is a permanentagriculture because it seeks to be as perennial as it can (but not excluding the use of annuals) and it is designed to sustain its function into the distant future. While we are happyto designfor our use of land, we rarely give thought to designing for our social structuresand may not see the need for it. However, as is so often seen in well-functioning communities, there are benefits that come from co-operationsuch as the simple thing of combining together to put in a big seed order and reap a discount, or to the joining together to apply for funds and then build a new community centre. Working together gives us a powerful force, but as a start there is much we can do as individuals in that community –and the first is to take more personal responsibility for as much as we can, so that we become more self-reliant. We make choices for our use of resources and what we buy, and we can attempt to reduce waste, reuse as much as we can and recycle what is left. From this confidence from personal responsibility, we can then start to take responsibility within the community, contributing to its knowledge and leadership, and in joint effort for its overall wellbeing. This is evidence of what could be called a mature behaviourthat is often seen in stable and secure communities. Examples of these are forest and fishing communities around the world. They have a sense of permanence about them, which is because of the long-term nature of forests and their use, and the need to be careful about conserving fish stocks rather than overfishing. Thus the forests and the fish stocks need generationsof care and knowledge, with the knowledge being passed on to next generations down through the years. This constancy and mature behaviour is our other explanation of Permaculture, a permanentculture. THE DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF SPRINGFIELD Springfield was developed on a 3 hectare (7.5 acre) field of rough pasture that used to be part of a tenant farm ownedby the local council. To begin with, a Permaculture Designerwas employed to carry out a site survey and then work out a detailed design plan in consultation with the community. The Designer lived on the estate for weeks at a time, and used simple but highly visual surveying Mark Fisher 2 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN methods around the field to engage the interest and involvement of onlookers from the estate across the road. Part of the survey was to locate contour lines across the top of the site where swales (drainage ditches) would be dug to improve water infiltration (see SWALES in the technical session). In addition, similarly high profile community art projectswere carried out using simply available materials such as wood and stone. These projects drew in children and adult volunteers, and left structures around Springfield that are a constant reminder of those early days (a spiral arch where a time capsule was buried, various carved wooden seats around the site and a watercress bed located on the spring –see technical section). A survey ofthe quality of the land making up Springfield revealed four distinct areas on site that roughly corresponds to the field being divided into four quarters (see figure). This division of the site is used throughout this document as a means of providing a reference location for the various elements that go to make up Springfield. A wildfood woodland walkwas first to be planted in a wide band following up the E boundary, and turning to run along most of the N boundary. This consists of hundreds of native trees and shrubs into which fruiting trees and shrubs were also planted, so that the whole will mature into an edible landscapewhere the community can pick and eat fruit as they walk. The best soilwith a good depth of silt was found in the NE quarter. Thisarea gently slopes southward, providing a warm and fertile area for food growing. The cash crop vegetable beds, allotments for the community and a couple of forest gardens are located there. Because of a prevailing westerly windover the field, this quarter is protected by shelterbelt tree plantings The NW quarter had the second best soils and is used for a very large forest gardenand for tree nurseries. It has a large shelterbelt planting that affords protection for much of the NE quarter. The SW quarter has both wet and dry areas. The section to the E of the quarter is very boggybecause of the permanent spring waters that flow there (Springfield!). The water is heavy with iron, which is typical of coalfield areas. The water from the spring passes through a number of lagoonswhere various plants are used to cleanout some of the iron before the water passes into the beck. The second part to the W is drier and forms a low mounded plateau of poor land, which is currently unused. In late spring, this area glows pale pink from the mass of cuckooflowers, a edible wildflower of the cress family. The SE quarter has the poorest land with shale overlying thin clay soils. The shale is spoil from mine workings and is evidence of the coal miningactivity of this area of Bradford in previous centuries. Two mine openings were found in this quarter and were permanently capped for safety. The shale provided firmer ground for the access road that runs into the hardstanding, the latter used as the salvage area and recycling yard. The firmer ground also proved suitable for the footings of the two buildings. This whole quarter has much drier, poorer soil as is shown by the presence of the wildflowers yarrow and the hearts ease pansy. The buildings at Springfield are contained inside a compound that is the a focus for much activity. The buildings were made from wooden beam and panelling, constructed from Scottish grown pine and brought to the site in partially assembled sections. Reciprocal beams provide support for the roof panels and allow the octagonal space inside the building to be free from loadbearing posts. The central apex opening in the roof, formed by the beams, is capped by a skylight,which provides good internal daylight and good solar gain. The building to the E is the farmhouse kitchenand is finished to a higher standard with insulation covering the inside of the wall and roof panelling. The second building contains tanks and boilers for the heating system and has equipment for its use as a potting shed/craft shop.A toilet block links the two buildings and contains composting toilets. Springfield is not connected to sewers and so water from the roofs is collected and used for irrigationand all grey water (from sinks) is piped to a willow absorption area.The compound also contains polytunnels and a greenhouse for salad crop production, and a wind turbineprovides electrical power. There is a model demonstration gardenthat is used by daytime groups in theirfield to table program for lifeskills (they grow the food, prepare and cook it and eat it together on site). Mark Fisher 3 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION AND MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE HOW TO USE THIS SECTION This section contains an entry in alphabetical order for each of the elements in the wider landscape of Springfield Community Garden. It does not cover any landscape elements inside the inner compound, nor any of the buildings or structures in that compound. Each entry has a site map schematic (see figure) showing the relative location of the element, and below that is a short set of directions to it. These combined will get you walking in the right direction, but please refer to the overall site plan in the Appendix if there is any confusion. The right hand panel contains maybe some history and the context of the element, and a description of its construction and function. This is followed by an outline maintenance schedule. Key words from this maintenance schedule are highlighted in the left-hand column. There are two tables within this alphabetical section. One contains a listing of the types and properties of the fruiting trees planted in the forest gardens. While the precise location at planting of some of the individual varieties is known, some of these fruit trees have subsequently been lost. Many other fruit trees have been planted elsewhere, particularly in the Wildfood Woodland Walk, where the varieties were not recorded. This could be a project for identification by future generations of Springfield users. The second table lists some of the perennial plants used in creating the linear and island guilds. TREES ON SPRINGFIELD Many trees, mostly native species, were planted at Springfield. To my knowledge, no record has been made of species used or of planting locations. Some areas, however, are obvious with a hawthorn hedgeplanted along the E boundary. In most other areas, whips (young, bare-root trees) were planted by species in groups of three, gradually moving across and filling the landscape to form habitats and shelterbelts, planted as parts of swales and for the wildfood woodland walk. The most common trees planted would be alder, birch, blackthorn, elder, field maple, hazel, wild cherry, horse chestnut, guelder rose, hawthorn, holly, oak, ash, rowan, mountain pine and, later on, sycamore. Some Scottish broom are planted along the boundary in the NE. The trees have been a principle tool in reshaping the ecology and soil economy of Springfield, which was just poor pasture before. This approach was key in returning the land at Springfield to a highly productive and endurable landscape based on traditional knowledge and craft. Some history of woodland in Britain will provide the context, but we must be wary since our history of trees is littered with false trails and romantic notions. What can be said is that the retreat of the last Ice Agewas followed by the almost complete coverage of lowlandand semi-uplandBritain with naturalforests – wildwood. How we lost these forests to wholesale change due to the coming of agriculture is arguably a tragedy from which we have learnt little, even though it started over 5000 years ago. From the Iron Ageonwards, woodland was managed for timber(building materials) and wood (firewood, charcoal, poles, fencing etc.). But more and more wildwood was cleared to make way for crops and animals, such that it is probable that there is none of the original natural woodland left today in Britain. Ancientwoodlandis wildwood that has been historically managed with replacement of original trees by humankind rather than nature. For a period, trees at a less dense cover than woodland were an important part of animal husbandry. Livestock are fond of young tree leaves and so a system of wood-pasturedeveloped whereby treeswere planted through grassland(the great deer parks are examples of this). Some were pollarded(coppiced on a leg) to give fresh edible growth every year, but also to give products such as poles. Woodland cover, however, continued to be lost to agriculture, with an acceleration during the 19th century as the need for wood products fell with the increasing use of fossil fuelsand a decline in the need for oak barkin tanningleather. Now we have a woodland coverage of about 15%, lagging behind many European countries. Mark Fisher 4 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN – APPLES, PEARS AND STONE FRUIT Known varieties planted on Springfield VARIETY Use Rootstock Flowering Pollen Harvest Fruiting period period APPLES KESWICK CODLING D M25 MID Sept-Oct B COCKPIT IMPROVED C M25 MID Dec-Apr CRISPIN D/C M25 MID-T SS Oct-Apr spur -B BRAMLEY C M25 MID-T SS Nov-May tip -B WORCESTER PEARMAIN D M25 MID SF Sept-Oct tip JAMES GRIEVE D M25 MID SF Sept-Oct spur DISCOVERY D M25 Early SS Aug-Sept spur & tip CRAB APPLES JOHN DOWNIE M25 GOLDEN HORNET M25 PEARS CONFERENCE D Seedling pear MID SS Oct-Nov WILLIAM D Seedlingpear MID SS Sept spur HESSLE D Seedling pear Late PSF Oct LOUISE BONNE OF JERSEY D Seedling pear Early SS Oct BUERRE HARDY D Seedling pear Late SF Oct JARGONELLE D Seedling pear MID-T SS Aug tip STONE FRUIT MERRYWEATHER (damson) C Myrobalan B MID SF Sept CZAR C Myrobalan B MID SF Aug CAMBRIDGE GAGE D/C Myrobalan B Late PSF Sept CHERRY PLUM C Myrobalan B SF July STELLA D Malling F12/1 MID/Late SF July NUT WEBBS PRIZE COB Sept D -Dessert, C –Cooker, T -Triploid, SS -Self Sterile, SF -Self Fertile, PSF -Partially Self fertile, B -Biennial fruiting BOILER HOUSE This block building was once a boiler house for a distributed estate heating system. By the time of taking possession of Springfield in 1993, the heating system had been decommissioned, with the boilers and associated equipment removed. Thus its location over the road from Springfield, and its availability for use, meant that it provided an early lockup for materials and tools, and desk and workshop space. The windowless building has a problematic toilet system and is far from secure, suffering repeated break-ins. Consequently, its role diminished quickly afterthe buildings on Springfield were completed, with most materials and activities transferring. It retains some storage use for equipment and for compost bins This is a block building on the owned by the Royds regeneration company. S side of Stirling Crescent. MAINTENANCE MAINTENANCE KEYWORDS The boiler house is regarded as a security nuisance. There are Empty and relinquish plans to develop further buildings in the compound on Springfield and so there is no commitment to retaining the use of the boiler house. The Royds have agreed to look for alternative storage space for their compost bins. Mark Fisher 5 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN BRADFORD BANKS A Devon Bank is a wall, often signifying a historical boundary, (DEVON BANKS) which is constructed from two inward sloping dry stone walls, with the space between the walls filled with soil (see figure). Thus substantial walls can be constructed that reduce the amount of stone a solid wall would use as it is replaced with soil. Another advantage of the Devon bank is that the soil infil can be planted up with shrubs and trees, which markedly raises the overall height of the bank, making them effective as visual screens and also wide-area windbreaks. The original design plan for Springfield specified three stretches of Devon Bank, although the apocryphal story is that their name had to be changed to Bradford Banks to placate the sensibilities of Bradford’s Planning Department. Two of the banks would A Bradford Bank runs NS, have lined either side of the entrance track into Springfield, separating the central starting just before it opens out into the salvage area. This would shelterbelt from the compost have made for an impressive, gated entranceway, just after the bins and salvage area. causeway section of the track. Another short section would have lined the E side of the salvage area and provided windbreaking protection for seedling polytunnels. As with many developments at Springfield, the eventual building of a new feature awaited the combination of someone identifying and bringing in with them the necessary resources of people and materials. Graham Parker, from the Economic Initiatives Division, and his band of New Deal trainees, located a supply of wasted York stone paving and set themselves to building the bank that stretches up the W side of the salvage area. Waste soil was also broughtin to fill the wall after it was mixed with organic matter. The tops of the banks are planted with trees MAINTENANCE KEYWORDS (hawthorn, blackthorn and guelder rose) Weed control Replacement planting MAINTENANCE The wall is stable and shouldn’t need much care other than to weed the soil surface and to replant tree failures where necessary. There is an original hawthorn tree that has been incorporated into the wall. It is important to ensure that the space around this tree is not filled with earth, as burying the tree from above ground level will kill it. Mark Fisher 6 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN COMFREY BED Many plants have the ability to actively accumulate minerals from the soil -hence they are called dynamic accumulators. They appear to do this selectively as there may not be a high soil content of the mineral, nor does there seem to be any clear advantage gained. The well-recognised dynamic accumulators are mostly common weeds such as comfrey and yarrow. They can be used like animal manure to add fertility to soil. Comfrey is a deep-rooting perennial that is capable of accumulating minerals from subsoil (upto 6% dry weight for potassium). The minerals are then released into the topsoil as the plant dies back at the end of the season. Thus it has tapped The comfrey bed is in the a rich vein of minerals that are rarely used by the majority of centre, just below the small plants. Comfrey is probably the most important dynamic forest garden. accumulator that natural gardeners can make use of. Theleaves can be cut 3-4 times a year and used in mulches or liquid feeds, used on potassium-hungry crops like tomatoes. The common wild comfrey is found growing in damp habitats such as riverbanks, but it can also be seen in road verges. The comfrey used by natural gardeners is similar to the native species but it is a hybrid between that and the prickly comfrey from Russia. The hybrid is semi-sterile so that it does not produce much seed. This is useful as it means the plant puts most of its energy into producing leaves. The hybrid comfrey is a robust herbaceous perennial that grows to a height and spread of 90cm. The very deep taproot can reach as far as 3m underground. The large, oval hairy leaves grow in a clump through which flowering stems and purple tubular flowers appear between May and August. The leaves are harvested before the flower stem appears and steeped in water to make a straw-coloured liquid feed. MAINTENANCE The comfrey bed is full of perennial weeds such as willow herb and thistles. Light excluding mulch has failed to control them in the past. However, comfrey itself is sufficiently vigorous in growth and it should eventually crowd out the weeds. Before it can do that though, there has to be a greater density of comfrey plants growing inthe bed. Comfrey can be propagated from offsets early in the year when they first appear, or from root cuttings taken between March and August (see figures). Although rooting can be carried out in open ground, using pots will build up stock of comfrey that can then be planted out in bulk. MAINTENANCE KEYWORDS Weed control Orange-coloured comfrey rust can appear on leaves in high Propagation: offsets, root summer. This not a serious disease as the plant will grow cuttings through it. Regular cutting of the comfrey before it sends up Comfrey rust flower spikes may keep it at bay. Mark Fisher 7 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT SPRINGFIELD COMMUNITY GARDEN CUTTINGS BEDS - As the growing season comes to an end, the leaves fall from NOW A WILLOW COPPICE deciduous shrubs and trees. Their shoots become firm, hardened by the woody tissues within them; and their cells fill with starch, and other storage reserves, set aside to enable them to survive the winter and grow away strongly the following spring. These tough sticks are the material to use for hardwood cuttings. Their tissues contain the regenerative cells that will divide to get growth going again when it comes. Dormant during the winter, they are extremely tolerant of poor conditions, and are very well able to support themselves from the reserves packed away inside them, a self-sufficiency that enables them to survive and prosper. The cuttings beds are to the Hardwood cuttings provide one of the easiest means of E and just above the top propagation. Many are able to produce roots successfully in the mini-swale in the NE. open ground providing that the space is not too exposed to extremes of wind and sun. Cuttings of this kind are normally taken throughout the winter from leafless shoots -a convenient job to occupy the months of December and January. However, in the N, rooting is least likelyto occur from cuttings made in the dead of winter, and should instead be done as the leaves fall during late October or within a month. If the cuttings are not taken then it is better to delay their removal until early March, only a short while before they come into growth again. Cuttings are prepared from fully mature, firm wood, sliced into pegs, each with about four buds, and measuring something like 10-20 cm (4-8 in) long (see figure). The cuttings are stuck in a vee-shaped slit in the ground. It is not necessary to bury them deeply, nor for them to project far out of the ground. Ideally their uppermost buds should be just above ground level, with the bud below only a short distance beneath the surface (see figure). Roots will form in early summer as leaves appear, and the rooted cutting can either be moved into its final place or potted up in late Autumn, or in late March the following year. The cuttings beds were an early element at Springfield since it was hoped that hardwood propagation would replace bought in stock. Beds were formed by clearing turf and then pegs of willow, blackcurrant, redcurrant, dog rose and dogwood were plunged. Most of the rooted shrub cuttings have been removed and used over the years, but the willows stayed put with a few of the currants and rose. Subsequently, the willows have been used as a source of willow withies for crafts such as basket MAINTENANCE KEYWORDS making and living willow sculpture. Coppicing Pruning MAINTENANCE Hardwood propagation The willows need coppicing every three years or so to keep the withy growth relatively young (see WILLOW ABSORPTION AREA). The black and red currants are too large to move successively and thus should be regarded as productive fruit bearing shrubs and harvested accordingly. Their productivity will be maintained by appropriate pruning (seeWILDFOOD WOODLAND WALK). Pruning often produces useful material for hardwood propagation as described above. Mark Fisher 8 TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION MAINTENANCE AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT