Working With Your Site
Site Design
a) Create a Base Plan
Prepare a plan, preferably one to scale, showing the exact dimensions of the entire site. Using a scale of ¼” = 1'0” (1:50 metric) draw the basic site outline on paper. Take a physical inventory of the site features, and draw them on tracing paper overlays.
Base your measurements from a fixed point: fence, sidewalk, building, light post, or four markers at each corner of the proposed site.
Taking pictures of the site and using them as a reference, may be helpful for your planners. Pictures can also be shown to professionals, such as a landscape architect living in the community, to get ideas on a particularly troublesome area.
Important features and considerations to note when drawing a base plan:
- Sun and shade patterns· Existing trees, shrubs, and other plant materials
- Existing buildings that border the site
- A vegetable garden needs a minimum 7 hours a day of sunlight. Optimum exposure to direct sunlight is at least 11 hours, more if possible. Some cool crops may do alright on 4 hours.
- Check patterns throughout the growing season as the sun changes position in the sky.
- Shade is nice for a sitting area, but shade can always be created using tarps, trellis and lean-to's.
- Drainage and Changes in elevation (slope)
- If the site is unevenly graded, then the low areas will hold water no matter the soil texture.
- Will re-grading the site correct the problem? Possible costs? Can it be utilized for another purpose?
- Soil quality: texture, contaminants, pH, organic matter, areas of compaction, etc.
- The soil is the most important component of your garden. Healthy living soil will make all the difference. Focus the groups' efforts to increasing the organic matter (compost, manure, mulch), rather than in buying synthetic fertilizers that promise high yields.
- Conduct a soil test for nutrient and contaminants on site.
- Get a history of land usage from the landowner.
- Was it used for housing, commercial or heavy industrial, snow storage?
- Advise Soil Test Lab of particular contaminants you suspect may be present
- Soil texture determines the soil's ability to retain water, how it drains, the oxygen content and fertility. The addition of organic matter, in the form of compost can improve any type of soil.
- Objectionable views, noises, smells, etc. that need screening
- Compost area, busy street
- Desirable views you do not want to block
- River view, children's play area
- Wind patterns and direction
- Existing structures within the site: hydrants, signs, light poles, sidewalks, etc.
Water Needs Calculation Worksheet
(Excel file, courtesy S. Johnson, Terwillegar)
Building Components to Your Site Plan
A very simple site plan needs to address five major components:
- the family garden plots
- common meeting area
- compost area
- water storage area
- tool shed area
Encourage a group 'brainstorming session' for other ideas of how the garden site could look and the services it could offer to the gardeners and the community.
Group questions:
- If you were sitting in the garden three years from now, what would it look like?
- What feelings would it create within you
- What are people doing in it?
Some considerations:
- Individual plots
- Communal plots (compost crops, fruit, flowers, perennials, soft fruits, space-greedy and tall plants, sign display bed, etc)
- Raised beds - wheelchair and seniors accessibility
- “Grow-a-row” plots
- Children's garden growing area
- Children's play area
- Shady and sunny sitting areas
- Compost bins
- Garbage containers
- Pathways - main and others
- Water -main source access, localized access throughout site
- Naturalized area: wetlands area, wildflower - butterfly garden
- Fencing - deterrent to dogs, people
- Lighting - evening access
- Screening objectionable areas - compost area, neighboring industrial site, portable toilet site
- Border planting for wind breaks, or pollution filtering
- Signage: Display garden telling who you are and to invite new gardeners, 'thank you' to sponsors
- First Aid Station
- Notice board