When we first began talking with students and staff about our plans for a garden on the Level 4 terrace it quickly became clear that there would be two different types of user. Some people simply wanted a green space where they could sit to enjoy a coffee, others wanted the chance to do some practical gardening. Dividing the area into two distinct spaces was an obvious way to meet both needs. For the Green Garden we built six wooden planters that now contain 18 metres of native trees and shrubs that should eventually grow into thick hedges atractive to a range of insects and birds. The hedges will provide a green screen for human users of the garden, along with some protection from wind and sun.
Filling our roof terraces with native planting is a key part of the IOE Biodiversity Policy, and we are also contributing to the Euston Corridor, the aim of which is to provide wildlife-friendly habitats in close proximity from Euston right down to the river.
One of the biggest challenges in this part of the garden is the need to keep the weight of the planters within limits - we've used far more perlite than we wanted and time will show which of the plants are happy in such a light soil. At the moment, the gorse seems to be making good progress - it often grows naturally in areas that have poor soil.
Gorse is also found in windy, exposed sites such as cliff tops, and we realised very quickly that wind will cause a particular problem for us - partly because of the bounce-back effect created by the high walls of the building on two sides of the garden, partly because a gap in the houses between the Green Garden and Russell Square creates something of a wind tunnel. It's going to be a challenging site!
Filling our roof terraces with native planting is a key part of the IOE Biodiversity Policy, and we are also contributing to the Euston Corridor, the aim of which is to provide wildlife-friendly habitats in close proximity from Euston right down to the river.
One of the biggest challenges in this part of the garden is the need to keep the weight of the planters within limits - we've used far more perlite than we wanted and time will show which of the plants are happy in such a light soil. At the moment, the gorse seems to be making good progress - it often grows naturally in areas that have poor soil.
Gorse is also found in windy, exposed sites such as cliff tops, and we realised very quickly that wind will cause a particular problem for us - partly because of the bounce-back effect created by the high walls of the building on two sides of the garden, partly because a gap in the houses between the Green Garden and Russell Square creates something of a wind tunnel. It's going to be a challenging site!