The Origins of Leaf Street Community Garden

New

There is now an excellent video about the creation of Leaf Street Community Garden available on You Tube:

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3


Leaf Street Community Garden is situated on an old street which cuts through the 'Redbricks' estate in Hulme, immediately south of Manchester City Centre. In June 1999 a 72 Hour Permaculture Design Course was delivered by local permaculture teachers, Angus Soutar, 'Jungle' Jen, and Rob Squires. During the course a practical design project was undertaken, during which plans for the garden was developed. Practical activities also took place during the course, and the first raised bed was created at the southern end of the garden. The picture above show how Leaf Street used to be - a barren strip of grass, with nothing going on except the occasional dog walking. The picture to the left shows Hulme resident Jeem, who was one of the participants on the course, working on a permaculture design for the garden.



Leaf Street Community Garden started its life as a small heap of earth, which had been left behind from a Council job. Course participants commandeered the heap, and fashioned a raised bed, using reclaimed logs to demarcate the border, and obtaining plants from anywhere that they could. The picture to the right shows participants in the process of creating the first bed, with Jungle Jen sat in the middle teaching. Over the years since the establishment of this first bed, many people from Hulme and further afield have contributed to the garden in many different ways.




Nowadays the garden is still going strong, although it has evolved somewhat from the plans that were drawn up in the design course in 1999. The garden is striking for many reasons:

The picture to the right shows an "own root stock" apple tree in the forest garden area at the north end of the garden, with an understory emerging, and a thick straw mulch to retain soil moisture. (Photo taken around year 4 of project).