The Community Garden Path 2022 Update

 Last year the Community Garden gained a grant for putting in a concrete pathway. The rain and more rain though, stopped the process of it all, and finally this month, it has been dry enough to lay it down.

Day one was the digging out of the soil, some beds were gently nudged out of the way, although still in position more or less.

The soil dug out was piled up ready for the gardeners to spread out. There are 4 piles in all. This is the beginning of the area that floods, so hopefully the build up of soil will help.

Overall it took from Monday 8th to Friday 19th August to complete, not counting the weekend, 10 working days, so a big job.  The company kindly dug out the area for the container, which will be near the pavilion  tanks, and is waiting on our son's acre to be moved. It will house the tractor and be an office.

Once the soil was dug out, the form work was laid down, in one of the sections at a time, starting with the entrance. Plastic first followed by the steel reinforcement.

Note the dark area near the water tanks, the position for the Container.

Once the mesh was down then the concrete pour started. A couple of young apprentices were up front learning, I imagine a pathway being a fairly easy job, to learn on.

When the first section was finished, the form work that shapes the path, was then removed to do the next lot of pathway, for another area.  In all there were 7 orange concrete trucks bringing the concrete, which is 35 cubic metres.

Having designed the area in the first place, it is really nice to see a "completion" of the garden. Although the gardeners will always be changing things here and there, it still looks the same maybe a few flower gardens around the edges, but in general still the same basic plan from 4 years ago.

The gaps left, either side of the path, need to be filled and John was talking about using the first lot of soil that was dug, as it had crushed concrete packed in it, from the original path. Near the community gardens good soil and maybe  succulents or native violets, will be planted.

 

 

Eventually grass will grow over the filled in dirt to finally finish it off. We now have 50 members and regularly 12 or 13 turn up every day. All member beds have been rented, and I have had an idea to suggest of where new ones can be set up, for the committee to think about. 

I rarely go now, my knees are a problem, but also I have so much work here, both the garden and the house, there is just no time. John is very involved with it, daily. 

For local readers it is worth a visit. 

Till Next Time.