The clients approached us to create a sustainable vegetable garden design – they had acquired a plot of land adjacent to their property in the beautiful Dorset countryside. They wanted to fulfil a long-term dream of becoming more self-sufficient by growing their own produce, and that’s why they reached out to us. We share their commitment to environmentally friendly practices and focus on using greener growing methods. This was a perfect match for our design philosophy, and we were eager to help bring their vision to life.
The Brief
- Design a garden specifically for growing fruit, vegetables, herbs and flowers.
- Incorporate raised beds for ease of access.
- Greenhouse.
- Use sustainable, environmentally sensitive materials where possible.
- Recycle and reuse by products, such as perennial/annual weeds and compostable matter.
- Maximise the growing productivity of the plot.
- Provide adequate storage for tools and materials.
- Provide space for composting.
- Provide space to sit in good or poor weather.
Our Design for the Vegetable Garden
- We designed the garden to consist of accessible raised beds that maximise the available space. Also allowing for crop rotation.
- Raised beds edged with long lasting tough steel edging. These also allow for easier ‘no dig’ gardening by accommodating manures and mulches for improved soil nutrients, mycelium and general plant health.
- Hazel hurdles for fencing and screening.
- Bark mulch paths to suppress weeds, and avoid using pesticides.
- Use of plastics minimized e.g. galvanised steel water butts and weed digester, timber compost bins, timber structures. Shed and Geodesic dome can be glazed with glass preferably, or polycarbonate if the former is deemed unsuitable.
- Weed Digester, so weeds can be safely disposed without the risk of spreading seed or root pieces and this will extract a nutrient rich ‘tea’ to feed garden plants.
- Spacious double compost bins. These have bi-fold doors. Lift out lower panel and bi-fold roof. All insulated with 100mm hydrophobic insulation to promote decomposition.
Geodesic Dome and Multi-Functional Garden Shed
- A generous sized 3.5m Geodesic dome as this will enable all year round growing. Plus, domes make good use of available space, because they have no awkward corners. And we like their 70’s sci-fi aesthetic!
- Where possible beds run along Hazel Hurdle fence panels which can be used to support plants such as Raspberries – Rubus idaeus for example, or natural climbers like sweet peas – Lathyrus odoratus.
- The existing boundary bank has untended Hazel trees along it. So we proposed laying these to hedge, utilising them and the bank as a natural boundary to the rear of the plot. This will also encourage birds and other wildlife.
- A spacious good quality treated timber shed to store tools and equipment. With covered storage racking to the rear for items such as canes etc.
- The shed is large enough to accommodate two people seated in bad weather. It has a lean-to porch roof to the front which will provide shade in summer and shelter from light rain. As well as an area to the front for uncovered seating.
