What do you think about the concept designs for the Eco Water Garden?

The concept designs include areas for student teaching areas - a fantastic opportunity for students to learn more about water sensitive cities!

I don't altogether understand the 3 designs so will only comment on the requirements I hope for in relation to the community garden:

1) please do not put any trees or very large bushes too near the garden in such a way that they will shade our growing areas which we need for vegetables. We really need all the existing sunny space as the garden has been planned this way and it would be difficult and discouraging to start again.

2) Please ensure that we continue to have a wide gate access to a space large enough for storage of stable waste and mulch. This gate should be on the lane side of the garden not on the Henson Street side and it does really need to be as wide as the present gate into the garden.

Thanks

Martha Ansara

Marrickville West community garden member

One more requirement for the community garden is a fence on the side of the water garden which will ensure that people do not come into the garden and take plants and vegetables as they did in the days before we had sufficiently high fencing (which we struggled to install).

Now that we have fortress education and the school has the new fencing, the garden is not vulnerable out of hours, but while the school is open, there still needs to be fencing on all sides, even though the fencing (barrier) on the water garden side might be more attractive as one looks to the community garden from the school.

For the garden this is a serious matter. It was only when we finally secured the garden with adequate fencing, after years of problems, that it became possible to plant with confidence of getting the fruits of our labour and not lose even whole plants to human predators. (Including little old ladies).

Martha Ansara

Marrickville West community garden

I like design 1 as it's funky and appealing to kids and adults - the wavy lines and nooks and crannies are interesting and intriguing. As a member of the community garden I agree with Martha that we need a secure garden and our access to sunlight has to be as unlimited as possible.