Please help?!

[McFugget]

I've been asked to oversee a small patch of lad, apparently an acre, (I think?) for a charity. They'd like it divided up into small plots/beds so those using the charity can have a sort of small patch themselves to grow whatever they like. Some beds for edibles to generate a bit of an income. I think raised/no dig beds seem a good idea. Sandy soil. That's all I have, and I'm stuck! Obviously money tight.

Any ideas would be most gratefully received. Please?!

How many people will need a plot? Raised beds does seem a good idea. Have you got a photo of the acre or got a plan drawing so you can start to work out how to divide it up into individual beds? Do any of the users have disabilities that would require access or bending or reaching or visual issues? Grass paths in between might be a pain to maintain, but then equally so gravel may. Sorry, so many questions!

Thanks for reply!

Re. disabilities, thanks didn't think about that apart from the raised beds, for easier access.

Just asked for photo to be sent over, so will post as soon as I get it. No plans, I think that's what's expected of me!

The idea is kind of to make as many reasonably sized plots and people can ask for one/wait for one to become available, the clients will be moving through the service, so not a fixed amount of people.

You might need to consider access for clients - appropriate paths (width and surface) , ramps, steps with rails and contrast. Maybe designate areas for veg, fruit, wildflowers, borders, sensory (water, scent, textures, sound)

Brilliant, LIZS, thank you!

Here's a pic @elephantoverthehill. As you can see, it's very, ahem, fallow atm.

Wow that really is a blank canvas (pun intended owing to the campers!). I think you need to draw out a plan view adding details such as road access and water supply and then work from there.

Sorry I meant to add that is flat, so that's a bonus.

Oh fabulous ! I think in this case possibly less is more, think carefully about how much each person gets - you want enough space so they feel they have room but not so much it’s hard to maintain and daunting.

What’s the situation re water? I’d think composting as well, would a communal area work better or on individual plots ? As Lizs said think movement around, you’ll want to get wheelbarrows around comfortably. What about an area with some fruit trees for the long term on dwarf fruiting stocks and also maybe a communal poly tunnel people could use to get a head start on the season plus somewhere to take shelter from the rain? Actually I’d have a large shed or something with some seating and tables if budget allowed and how will people store their tools?

Incredibly jealous, i’d Love to do something like that. You could do an area for cutting flowers to raise some funds and if you have a polytunnel plants could be raised and sold for profit too. Would chickens be a goer? You could have them in a mini orchard area maybe,

If you have a horticultural college nearby, maybe you could contact them and ask if garden design students might like to have a look and give suggestions? As it's a charity, maybe a student would be willing to design a layout for free in order to get something on their cv?

Ooh, awesome replies!

Elephant, we have a water supply, but hope to add underwater storage when funds allow. I'll attempt some sort of plan when I'm next over there, and post it here. I'm NOT a garden designer though, so it may be a bit primitive.

Post, what would be a good size plot for a person would you say? I guess I could have different sized ones? Composting bin can be built, we have a carpenter as a volunteer. And YY to the fruit trees - we have a kitchen on site, so jams and pickles? For revenue?

Ooh, forgot to say, polytunnel already there! It's HUGE! A bit holey in places, but mostly sound. We've asked the patron of the charity if he would supply a covered seating area.

Cut flowers! Love it! My own garden is tiny, and how I yearn for swathes of swaying flowers.

Another question - I know sleepers are usually used for raised beds, but are a bit spendy. Anyone had any success using anything else, ie. corrugated iron?

Purple, fab idea!

Thank you all!

I have corrugated beds outside in my garden , first season this year . They came in kits at about £20 each so soon add up. On my allotment which I got in March I’ve divided into beds and heaped soil a bit but haven’t really put sides on them (few bits of wood propped up around a couple) I’m going to jab my friend’s old decking when that becomes available and meanwhile just leave as is. The trouble with raised beds is importing stuff to fill with, takes a lot.

For my pumpkin patch I flipped the turf, whacked a load of manure on top then compost and planted into that, the plants love it. School allotment project i’m Involved with has raised beds but very low ones. Gumtree is a good source of free materials and worth keeping an eye on, we got a free shed from that.

Plot sizes on my current allotment size are 10 x 10 or 5 x 10 which seem. To suit most people but the majority were experienced allotmenteers so knew the score. You might want some very smaller again plots maybe? Think it depends on who will be using them.

Fantastic having a kitchen! Yes to jams and chutneys, also look at maybe growing and drying hops in the future and flowers for drying such as lavender and calendula.

4 pallets lashed together with cable ties make good compost holders. Think about how to transport water round the site. Excellent the polytunnel there, benches can be made from scrap wood and pallets. Maybe a pond if no safety issues go encourage frogs and toads to eat slugs?

You’d have to look at regulations required to sell jams etc.

Ooh, I say Post! Most impressive! great tip re. Gumtree etc.. Please would you mind linking me to where you got your raised beds from? I can't find any for any less than £35-ish.

Can pallets lashed together be used for raised beds would you think?

There's an area with a pond (HUGE)! that I can have develop if I want as well. Will snap a pic of that when next over there. Will save that 'til I've done the allotment bit tho, otherwise my brain will implode.

What is your budget?

Best raised beds, are pallet collars - 2-3 deep. Ebay usually £5 but ring round pallet suppliers and ask if they will donate any. Usually 1mx1.2m so a decent size to start off with.

Composting - make sure this is set up before you start

Soil - you need topsoil in the raised beds to start off with, otherwise it will take a fair while to build up enough compost in the beds to get started. Ask the local council if they will give you some of theirs that they make from the bins collections [eg Coventry will supply a load through bubbenhall at around £70 to pay for the delivery. and you get a huge truckload].

Have you got a mower for that lot?

Polytunnel, although growing in one is great, you need alot of water. I use them for potting on and gathering in the winter, and then around April/May start making the space into one for tomatoes, cucumbers and chills - as you move the seedlings out for the raised beds, the space becomes available for the tomatoes.

Have you got electricity? One of our best buys was a submersible pump, we collected the water from the roofs at one end of the site, and pumped it to water butts/wheelie bins to store it near where we would use it [at the back of the polytunnel].

As you have alot of space, leave a good space in between each raised bed for mowing purposes. All those mowings will make the base of some good compost.

It does sound exciting, I've set up loads of these sorts of projects, and the best thing to do is to not get too invested, but invested enough that it doesn't drive you mad. Prepare to do all the donkey work. If you get someone who is prepared to help then that is fantastic.

Whereabouts is it?

benches can be made from scrap wood and pallets

I used to make the benches for new areas from 4 or 5 pallets, just stack them on top of each other and screw them together. On new projects, we would send someone out to the nearest wickes or business park, and often would find someone willing to drop 20-30 pallets off for us. We could then make benches, for humans to sit on [3 pallets high] and for seed trays.

Also freecycle for people getting rid of compost bins, I've got all mine like that. Some really good ones. Just keep posting what you are looking for each week, make sure the charity project is part of the email address, and people are always wanting to get rid of garden stuff.

Have you contacted your local diy shops? You'll need a lot of tools and somewhere safe to secure them

They were from Amazon bu5 had a look and sadly they are no longer there, sorry.