Hackspace Garden Pledge

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Everyone

Our north east corner in the car park is currently a mix weeds and rubbish which can be transformed into a clean, green and social relaxing space at a total building cost of £255.

Below you will find a visual representation and measurement of the proposed garden. 

Further details can be found on the wiki at: https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Pledge:_Hackspace_garden

If you are interested in contributing to the pledge, please add your name and the amount on the thread and I will add it. 

                          

 

[Theodoros Papatheodorou]

This looks really nice. I'd like to add my name to the pledge:

Theo £20.

[Zia Rahim]

Thank you very much Theo, I will be sure to add a plaque with your name to the one of the seats :)

[Tomasz Mloduchowski]

How much clearance would there be between the projected garden space and the radioshack?

On Tue, Jun 16, 2015 at 3:52 PM, Theodoros Papatheodorou <mari...@gmail.com> wrote:

This looks really nice. I'd like to add my name to the pledge:

Theo £20.

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[Tom Sands]

Hi,

I'm against this plan as I believe it takes far too much of the yard and turns it into something that needs constant maintenance. Several times this year the yard has already been completly full with both projects and cars.

I'd be happy to support a plan which has more consideration for the use of yard space by others.

[SamLR]

Hi,

I like the idea of this but I have a few questions/requests:

• Can we have a version of the promo-picture with only what's costed? £60 worth of plants would only cover that much surface after a few years, also I don't believe any of the barrels or chairs have been costed.
  
• What would the cost of maintaining this be?
• How much additional compost would be needed?
• What sort of plants do you want to use?
• How much will the pots cost as I assume we can't plant in the ground (I see that you've got some lining stuff but it looks like there's a good number of pots too).

And that's in addition to concerns about space.

S

[Lynz]

Hi, 

Although I like the idea of a space like this at the Hackspace I have the same concerns as Sam and Tom. Also the furniture seems to be blocking the planned pedestrian gate.

Lynz

[Aggie Deberny]

Hey :)

No worries with the furniture, it'll be made from wood pallets that makes them highly mobile, so they can be easily moved when the gate will be going to be installed. Also the pallets with plants can be on wheels which makes them super easy to move if someone needs an extra space. 

The garden ends up where the aquaponics structure currently is, so doesn't take that much space, only 5m x 8m. 

We're getting the soil from freecycle. There are no pots, mostly wood pallets we get for free, and anything that we can get from scrap and can serve as a pot really. Get creative and have fun ! :D

Plants proposed are herbs and low maintenance vegetables. If you really need a detailed list let us know and we will scribble it out.

Hope that helps :D

Agz

On Tuesday, 16 June 2015 15:47:48 UTC+1, Zia Rahim wrote:

[Theodoros Papatheodorou]

A little garden like this is a great idea to break away occasionally from the engine-rooms of the hackspace and find alternative shelter. Also it can jump-start a garden-tending group (for which I'd like to volunteer). I think it has great potential for communal activities, it looks great and we are in desperate need of some color in the space. Newcomers are very impressed by how friendly and willing to help out hackers are, but we could certainly lose a bit of screens, cables, rusty metals for some inner city garden.
Since there's a big enough team already behind it willing to set it up and the cost is not that great, it's worth the experiment.
Theo

[deanforbes]

Its a nice idea however bearing in mind I prefer the bush to the city any day but am prepared to put money on that it will turn into a mess and eye sore that some one else will have to clean up in time 

if this goes ahead and works great but I feel that a deposit for the clean up should be secured 

On Tuesday, 16 June 2015 15:47:48 UTC+1, Zia Rahim wrote:

[hamishcampbell]

Like the idea, bit of healthy geek living :)

[Martin (Crypt)]

I'm not sure a deposit for cleanup is really needed, from what I understand its going to be mainly wood beds, and if the worst really did come, the cleanup would consist of composting the plants and having a bonfire for the pallets (not suggesting we do that unless it really was abandoned ofc).  I like this idea, so long as the beds are easily mobile if we need more space, would be great to brighten the yard up a bit.

[Paddy Duncan]

.. and the tons of soil will just magically vanish?

[Theodoros Papatheodorou]

Guys,

there are about 8 people already behind this attempt (planning it) and there are a few people already keen on seeing it through that are not affiliated to this group. I think given the good will that exists in the space it would not be too hard to get rid of the soil and all the rest of the material if things go pear-shaped.

It's a worthwhile exercise to make the space more friendly and less like a factory :).

Theo

[Billy]

The people who run the community garden in Stratford, Abbey Gardens, would be happy to take the soil, if no-one else grabs it first. Good soil is expensive.

[Matthew Scroggs]

I've pledged £20 and will also help with setup and maintenance.

On Tuesday, 16 June 2015 15:47:48 UTC+1, Zia Rahim wrote:

[Eugene Nadyrshin]

[image heavy email warning]

Hi Tom, thanks for raising your concerns but please let me address them:

•  takes too much of the yard
  

    I think it improves the overall usage of the yard. Because:

• it makes use of what is essentially dead junk space at the back which until it was cleared up last, it month took more of the area than the fixed parts of the garden  (incidentally I've seen at least 3 people who have helped put this pledge together helping out with the cleaning, not including myself)
  
  
• it gives a dedicated area for people to sit down. Currently there are 4 tables spread across the yard including the long wooden bench, blocking the path to the 2 parking spaces by the back door and taking up space by themselves.
• "something that needs constant maintenance"
  
• Currently we have weed patches and crumbling concrete that no-body wants to maintain. Meanwhile a bunch of help-full members have have stepped up and are willing to maintain a new garden that's instead of being an eyesore is making the place more pleasant

• "Several times this year the yard has already been completly full with both projects and cars"

• I believe the only times I've seen it full was in the evening is during the open day and one drone zone meetup, where a lot of the cars didn't belong to members furthermore there are no parking restrictions on Emma street outside of 9-5:30 mon-fri meaning the once or twice a year we can spill our parking outside. Personally, as a car owner I'm happy to do that. Although given the points above I don't believe there will be any change in capacity compared to what we have now.
• With regards to projects, most of the part of the garden are mobile and can be rearranged if we have a project that would benefit from the space.

• "I'd be happy to support a plan which has more consideration for the use of yard space by others."
  

• This is a revised plan that has been downscaled from the original proposal in November (thread) after taking other people's considerations into account. Furthermore as per my points above I don't think there will be a net loss of usable space.

I hope that helps address your points

Cheers

Mentar

P.S.

The photos were taken yesterday (Tuesday) at 6pm, one of the busiest regular times

   

On 16 June 2015 at 16:29, Tom Sands <itst...@gmail.com> wrote:

[Philip Roy]

Love the Mate bottle wall :)
Can we also have a 3 metre tall topiary of Charles redemptor? And a duckpond? Every garden should have somewhere for ducks to live.
Phil
-
Seek ye the truth and the truth shall make ye free
-

[tim_n]

Hi

I have Rhubarb, strawberries, raspberry canes, blackberry (a very nice variety), grape vines here,  We can take cuttings and nurse them along.  Strawberries will be putting out runners soon and raspberry canes are coming up in the middle of my lawn.  Rhubarb is a monster, so we can slice a bit off with a spade whenever.  Nothing kills it.  Not even me.

I have comfry bocking 14 as well.  Lots of it.

On Tuesday, 16 June 2015 15:47:48 UTC+1, Zia Rahim wrote:

[Billy]

Pledged £20. It's more than halfway there. :D

tim_n: Have a word with Charles Seber from Abbey Gardens. He's built a really effective Comfrey Digester, to turn comfrey plant material into usable plant food. While he uses Bocking 14, he's been experiementing with some other varieties.

[Pingless]

I know the pedestrian gate is a long-term project and is likely not to be finished in the immediate future, but have you taken into consideration the amount of space required for passing through the garden from the gate (once it's installed)? I have some concerns about how easy it would be to navigate through the garden with a bike or a wheelchair, or while carrying large items.

[Billy]

It's all designed to be portable.

If we don't like the initial layout, we can just move it around till it works.

[Russ Garrett]

I think this is a great idea. For at least the last 6 months, the area which is proposed has been filled with rubbish and/or benches. I don't think I've seen this area used by cars or projects in quite a while.

In the worst case, the garden is going to be displacing the rubbish which would usually be there, so I'm not really that concerned about a deposit or anything.

I'm tempted to throw in £100 from the Hackspace budget unless there are any objections. 

My only concern is that the plants aren't really going to get established until next year. We can definitely set everything up, though.

Russ

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[deanforbes]

The track record of where the rescued plants ended up after much outpouring of emotion and commitment and the state of the hydroponics are in my view probable good predictors the probable out come 

As with most things if you do not have some one accountable or have accountability it will be a step closer to the journey to "noise bridge" who is responsible for the upkeep and who is accountable when that does not happen ? individual named people rather than a silicone collective ?

Make no mistake I support the notion and if it replaces the junk that is super cool but the implementation and lack of a individual or collective of people who are prepared to be jointly and severally accountable for the whole project on an ongoing basis is a significant concern 

On Tuesday, 16 June 2015 15:47:48 UTC+1, Zia Rahim wrote:

[tim_n]

98% of the effort in maintaining a garden is adequate watering & feeding.  My main concern is over the lack of any automated system for doing so.

I have run a watering system to all my plants.  It's not perfect but it keeps them alive. I turn on a tap mounted mechanical timer once a day for 30 minutes which drip feeds them enough not to die.  And mulching to keep the water where it needs to be.

The rest (feeding & weeding) can be much more sporadic, but without adequate watering it'll soon turn into a dust bowl or the return on vegetables/fruit will be minimal at best.

[Philip Roy (cepmender)]

Could we partially populate it with pre-grown plants? Any old stuff that the garden centre has going cheep would do to make it look reasonable while a more permanent plan is implemented.

Any plants that are then unwanted could be given away, donated somewhere or "guerrilla gardened" in some neglected spot.

Ioannes 8:32

----- Reply message -----
From: "Russ Garrett" <ru...@garrett.co.uk>
To: "London Hack Space" <london-h...@googlegroups.com>
Subject: [london-hack-space] Hackspace Garden Pledge
Date: Fri, 6 19, 2015 02:49

I think this is a great idea. For at least the last 6 months, the area
which is proposed has been filled with rubbish and/or benches. I don't
think I've seen this area used by cars or projects in quite a while.

In the worst case, the garden is going to be displacing the rubbish which
would usually be there, so I'm not really that concerned about a deposit or
anything.

I'm tempted to throw in £100 from the Hackspace budget unless there are any
objections.

My only concern is that the plants aren't really going to get established
until next year. We can definitely set everything up, though.

Russ

On 16 June 2015 at 15:47, Zia Rahim <ziar...@gmail.com> wrote:

> Hey Everyone
>
> Our north east corner in the car park is currently a mix weeds and rubbish
> which can be transformed into a clean, green and social relaxing space at a
> total building cost of £255.
>
> Below you will find a visual representation and measurement of the
> proposed garden.
>
> Further details can be found on the wiki at:
> https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Pledge:_Hackspace_garden
>
> If you are interested in contributing to the pledge, please add your name
> and the amount on the thread and I will add it.
>
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> <https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-aGIq_pdirIg/VYA0xcoKb6I/AAAAAAAAACs/wHAK_KccgRU/s1600/HackspaceYard%2BMeasurements.jpg>
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>  --
> You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
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> To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an
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[Zia Rahim]

That sounds fantastic Tim, all fruit is welcomed. In regards to the grape vine, is it grafted or did you grow it from a cutting? Also is it a wine grape or desert grape?

Thanks

[Zia Rahim]

Thanks Billy :)

[Zia Rahim]

Thanks Matthew, Appreciate the support!

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Tim, I have spoken to a few members at the space who are interested in making an automated watering and feeding device for the garden, it would be great if you also provided your valuable input. 

In regards to it becoming a dust bowl, I am more concerned about it being over watered. I have bought many plants to the space (Indoor) and I have found that they get killed from over watering. 

[Zia Rahim]

No objections Russ :) 

I have access to some wholesalers that have a large range of plants at really good prices, so we still have time to grow the vegetables, which should reach maturity in a few months. I believe that the grape vine will be more established next year and of course some other larger plants can be donated to fill the space.

[tim_n]

Zia - well established grape vine we'll need to take a cutting from, it's a very nice desert grape.

Blackberry: http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/category/158/products/1276#.VYQUx6OrqEA

Grape I think Phoenix: http://www.blackmoor.co.uk/category/186/products/470#.VYQVDaOrqEA

Our rhubarb produces from late January to early December.  We started it off buried in fresh manure and haven't managed to kill it yet.

Comfrey I can just dig it up, but no real point unless you're going to make a hole in the concrete as feeding comfrey to make liquid fertiliser is a bit pointless.

[Eugene Nadyrshin]

Hey Pingless, Lynz actually also raised the point about the pedestrian gate, I was hoping someone would address that, I'll try to do so now.

The pedestrian gate was proposed as an idea when we moved to the current space over 2 years go, since then no-one has taken it on themselves to take the project on. I think partly because it requires some legal wrangling with our landlords lawyers which would be a cost additional to the labour and the parts required.

However since the pedestrian gate idea was conceived to provide better access I wonder if the improving the front entrance though the likes of High Street Fund would make a better option, and Ryan has started work on this as per this thread. As we could get help not only with the legal costs but with the construction too I think it's a no-brainer. Furthermore if the did decide to go down the route of having the pedestrian gate in that corner it won't be impeded by the garden because it's can be the seating area can be moved around. It would also increase the chance of a member being able to help someone entering who's card isn't working for one reason of another as tends to happen with the front door bot a lot.

Also with regards to the High Street Fund application the deadline is looming as it's next week, if you would like to help please contact Ryan or myself, or reply to the tread mentioned above ( https://groups.google.com/d/topic/london-hack-space/mSUHstrulJA/discussion )

Hope that addresses the pedestrian concerns and gets this pledge moving :)

Cheers

Mentar

On 18 June 2015 at 22:51, Pingless <lessin...@gmail.com> wrote:

I know the pedestrian gate is a long-term project and is likely not to be finished in the immediate future, but have you taken into consideration the amount of space required for passing through the garden from the gate (once it's installed)? I have some concerns about how easy it would be to navigate through the garden with a bike or a wheelchair, or while carrying large items.

--

[Russ Garrett]

Just to clarify with the pedestrian gate: it has already been agreed
in principle with the landlord and it should not require any
additional legal fees. We already have the funds earmarked to do it.
What is required is a plan to be drawn up and submitted to the
landlord for approval, and also we need a reasonable plan to add an
electronic lock to the gate.

Russ

--
Russ Garrett
ru...@garrett.co.uk

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Tim

The blackberry and rhubarb looks amazing and I am sure it would be a great addition to the garden, thank you!

However taking a cutting from the grape might take some time for it to fruit. I have a supplier for plants and he normally has a grafted grape plant that is ready to fruit this year, although I normally let it establish itself first. 

Also if you have any strawberry runners that would be great too :)

[Zia Rahim]

Thank you for taking the time to address this concern. I hope you can work together with Russ to come up with a plan. Please let me know if you need any help.

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Everyone, thank you for contributing so generously to the garden project. We are currently at £140 of £255 and are looking for another £115. We would really appreciate any donations members can pledge to the project. 

If there is anything you are unsure about then please feel free to contact me privately or on the post and I will do my best to assist. 

[Mitchell Southgate]

if i am honest i think the plan looks like some stuff thrown in to the corner. As this is using space i think it could be worth submitting a few designs as if i am honest it looks like a lot of pallets. i do not mean to offend as i like the idea but just not the design. 

On Wed, Jun 24, 2015 at 11:42 PM, Zia Rahim <ziar...@gmail.com> wrote:

Hey Everyone, thank you for contributing so generously to the garden project. We are currently at £140 of £255 and are looking for another £115. We would really appreciate any donations members can pledge to the project. 

If there is anything you are unsure about then please feel free to contact me privately or on the post and I will do my best to assist. 

--

[Martin (Crypt)]

I think the idea of putting some of the hackspace funds towards this is a good one.  It will significantly improve the niceness of the yard, and could improve the quality of life for hackspacers

[Theodoros Papatheodorou]

I agree with Martin. There enough community momentum to pull this off.
What do the trustees say?

[Paddy Duncan]

I would agree to Russ's proposal of Hackspace providing the remaining £100 on one condition:

That it be a non-smoking area. All too often (generally) I find that pleasant outdoor spaces are considered smoking areas, and one has stay constantly on the move to avoid being downwind.

 

Paddy

--

[Lex Robinson]

This seems reasonable, it will also hopefully help ensure the plantpots aren't used as impromptu ashtrays. I agree.

[tom]

I'd say this should be the case for the entire carpark/loading bay

[Adrian Godwin]

Isn't it traditional to smoke behind bike sheds ?

On Thu, Jun 25, 2015 at 10:53 AM, tom <bollo...@gmail.com> wrote:

I'd say this should be the case for the entire carpark/loading bay

[Giac0m0]

I would be willing to donate a tenner to this project.  

As a non smoker, I agree that any outdoor spaces are automatically considered a smoking zone, due to bans on indoor smoking.  

I'm a human who has a mild allergy to smoke, I would also like the refurbishment to be non-smoking.  

I have sympathy for smokers being unable to smoke indoors, and segregated outdoor sites, it can't be nice to be told what to do and where.  I'd like to enjoy the outdoors without having downwind smoke. I hope a compromise can be made if the smokers unite.

[stephen o'brien]

I had considered contributing to this however, since it would also contribute to the persecution of addicts I will refrain!

--

[Jess]

smoking is awful, illogical and antisocial.

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

[Eugene Nadyrshin]

As a non-smoker myself I would be for "considerate smoking allowed".

After-all we operate a lot of things at the hackspace based on trust and I don't see why this is any different. I have to say most smokers I've seen at the space are considerate bar one or two.

[Giac0m0]

@Zia - Is there a wiki page for the project, with information on the design and listing pledges/pledge counting?

I'd like to see a project page once the Garden is live, with details of the plants growing there.  Hailing from South London, I don't get to the space often and having a digital representation would help me contribute in another way.  I have a large garden and would gladly donate a plant or two or some herb seeds (cooking herbs you crazy fools).

[Lex Robinson]

As per the first email (and most other emails in this thread that quote it):

https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Pledge:_Hackspace_garden

--

[theb...@gmail.com]

Likewise.

[Paddy Duncan]

I agree. Smoking somewhere else would be considerate.

 

From: london-h...@googlegroups.com [mailto:london-h...@googlegroups.com] On Behalf Of Eugene Nadyrshin
Sent: 25 June 2015 12:05
To: london-hack-space
Subject: Re: [london-hack-space] Re: Hackspace Garden Pledge

 

As a non-smoker myself I would be for "considerate smoking allowed".

[Lex Robinson]

You would rather persecute those with allergies? Addicts can at least seek help.

[Aden]

Hypnotism is 99% effective at curing allergies to the homeopathic amounts of smoke inhaled by being in the same wide open space as somebody smoking.

[Jess]

but jet fuel can't melt hypnotism

no but seriously the damage caused by second hand smoke is pretty firmly proven and allergies are not contagious

[Tim Reynolds]

lol persecution.

How dare your right to pollute the air around you and impact the health
of others be taken away. #persecution #triggered #revolution

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[Billy]

We're on the Hackney Road.

Breathe the air around 4am, and it's relatively clear for London.Breathe the air during rush hour and you'll start turning blue.

This is one of the main reasons that you can still smoke on the public highways, as otherwise we'd have to deal with the real problem, which is pollution from traffic.

If you're going to ban smoking, then you'd also have to every activity that generates small-scale particulate matter, so there goes most of the activities in the downstairs workshop, as well as using the furnaces, and making fibre-glass in the carpark.

I'm a smoker, and i behave considerately. If my smoke is personally bothering you, then please say it directly to me, and we'll find a way to fix the situation.

Blanket bans don't allow for elegant solutions, or interesting hacks.

[Jess]

we're talking about a blanket ban in the garden, smoke in another corner

[Billy]

We've had a weather station running since we arrived. Look at what the prevailing winds are for that part of the yard, and place the smoking section of the garden appropriately.

[Lex Robinson]

On Thu, 25 Jun 2015 at 13:51 Billy <bi...@billycomputersmith.com> wrote:

Breathe the air around 4am, and it's relatively clear for London.Breathe the air during rush hour and you'll start turning blue.

This is also true. Perhaps we should move the garden further away from the road? It is right up against it in that corner.

[stephen o'brien]

"lol persecution.

How dare your right to pollute the air around you and impact the health of others be taken away. #persecution #triggered #revolution"

Perhaps we should ban drivers as well !!

--

[Jess]

usually-inconsiderate poorly-trained fault-prone blobs of flesh driving a one-tonne metal killing machine? you might be onto something there

[Des Quilty]

"usually-inconsiderate poorly-trained fault-prone blobs of flesh"

 

when I first read that I thought that you were talking about a lot of cyclists in London!

[Martin (Crypt)]

Ok, so rather than thinking of everything that people might find mildly annoying (smoking / driving / riding a bike) can we just have a blanket rule that if someone is doing something that you are allergic to / mildly annoyed by, you should probably ask them to stop or move somewhere else.

[tom]

But that doesn't work, shy people don't like to say "hey go smoke elsewhere"

[stephen o'brien]

So a given percentage of the membership should be prohibited from full enjoyment of an asset at least partially funded by their membership fees, simply because shy people don't like to speak up for themselves?

On Thu, Jun 25, 2015 at 4:20 PM, tom <bollo...@gmail.com> wrote:

But that doesn't work, shy people don't like to say "hey go smoke elsewhere"

[Jess]

tbh if someone is considerate enough to be up-wind from non-smokers, everyone will be happy

On 25 Jun 2015 4:20 pm, tom <bollo...@gmail.com> wrote:
>
> But that doesn't work, shy people don't like to say "hey go smoke elsewhere"
>

[Jess]

do you smoke literally 24/7 or something

[Henry Sands]

Or you could just smoke somewhere else, like right by the back door, or right by the roller shutters.

[Tim Reynolds]

It's actually about ethics in hackspace gardens. It's not that Stephen WANTS to smoke in the garden, it's that someone has suggested maybe his right to pollute one small corner of the hackspace be taken away. What next? It's a slippery slope. 

[Lex Robinson]

You can't smoke in the basement either.

[stephen o'brien]

To be honest, I couldn't care less if the group who fund the pledge decide that a smoking ban is appropriate.

However, when the apportionment of membership funds, is conditional on there being such a ban instituted, I feel I must speak up since then I would be tacitly approving of something which I personally don't agree with and which other members may be too shy to speak about!

[tom]

If their "full enjoyment" of an asset is impacting other peoples, then yes.

Next time someone starts smoking near me I'll start banging pots loudly with a wooden spoon, "but my enjoyment of the space!" I'll shout when told to stop

[Lex Robinson]

Sorry, email client sent that one unexpectedly.

You can't smoke in the basement either, and that doesn't stop people using it.

You don't need to be able to light up in a place to enjoy it. There are many outdoor areas that you're not allowed to start fires - petrol stations and theme parks are two that come to mind.

[Jess]

what you really mean is the garden would be such a nice place to smoke compared to standing around awkwardly?

also it occurs to me that if the ban goes ahead people are going to just be too british to tell people to stop smoking there, ergo "smoke elsewhere" sign required?

[stephen o'brien]

Very kind of you to tell me what I really mean?????

[Mark Steward]

OK, time to end this thread.

Thanks,

Mark

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Giac0m0 

Yes there is currently a wiki for the pledge which can be found here: https://wiki.london.hackspace.org.uk/view/Pledge:_Hackspace_garden

There is a plan to make extend the wiki once the project has been funded to include what is planted and where. Maybe we could consider working with the hackers or trustees to setup another camera pointing at the garden, that way people like yourself who are unable to commute often, could see the garden grow. 

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Mitchell, you haven't offended anyone, after all beauty is in the eye of the beholder right? 

If you have any design ideas, maybe we could add these on as the garden progresses? 

I designed a garden prior to this for the space, it didn't use any crates but it was going to cost around £750, so I worked with other members to find a more cost efficient option and pallets was a great alternative.  I am normally at the space 2-3 times a week, so maybe we can meet and discuss your ideas. 

Thanks!

[Zia Rahim]

I only recently saw everyone's concerns about smoking in the garden. Having been a smoker and then stopped smoking for a number of years I can understand both sides of the coin. 

I believe that most smokers in the space are considerate and are not out to cause any inconvenience to other members.

Although if you are still really concerned then we can create a designated area in the garden for smoking but creating a complete ban, that I don't agree with at all. 

[Mitchell Southgate]

One of the things i think is missing is some sort of metal work. I think mostly so it shows off the hackspace before people go in. Also the wall i think needs something done with so it looks tidyer

[Tom Chambers]

I'd like to pledge £10 towards this.

[Zia Rahim]

That sounds like a good idea, we have two metal workers on the team, so we could ask them to make something What kind thing was you thinking of?

Also the wall could do with a fresh coat of paint and maybe the pallets could have a unified colour that compliments the wall and the whole garden.  

[Zia Rahim]

Thank you Tom, that is much appreciated. I will add it to the wiki now

[Benjamin Blundell]

I was thinking about the walls. Though its somewhat peripheral to this, I wouldn't mind patching them up (they need re-skimming in places before they can be painted) and doing another mural, if the garden people wouldn't mind? (it looks like the walls don't feature too much in your plans)

[Benjamin Blundell]

I'd considered the walls. It looks like you are planning putting things on it, which is cool. If not, I had another couple of murals in mind but I've not had chance to skim the walls to level them off yet. Depends really... you could just as easily put baskets, climbers (which could damage the walls though not massively I expect) or more panels, so its sort of whatever works.

On 25 June 2015 at 22:43, Zia Rahim <ziar...@gmail.com> wrote:

[stephen o'brien]

An energy harvesting self watering system would work well in this instance... something I have in mind for a while.

[Giac0m0]

Great, looks like a few other email pledges haven't made it to the wiki pledge page.  If there's a hackspace budget contribution, I think you've already gone over target :)

With any additional budget, will you be putting some aside as an operational cost for upgrades/repairs until another fundraiser is needed?  I also like the idea of a fresh webcam, it's always nice to see the space.

With the palettes, my preference would be a oil or wax based coating rather then paint/colour.  Flaking paint or colour differences appearing over time are more easily masked when the protective coating is closer to the original colouring.

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Giac0mo 

Apologies for the late reply, I think that a wax based coating or even a clear varnished would be better than colours, I love keeping that natural rustic style gardens and of course overtime it would age much better. 

Eugene/Menta confirmed that Russ has kindly agreed to provide us with £100 from hackspace fund so we have gone over our budget by £30. I will put some aside some for repairs and hopefully a webcam dedicated in your name. 

I am also thinking of creating a collective for the garden, so I and other members can be responsible for the space, keeping it clean and no random things are planted. Of course people are welcome to contribute but to stop it from going pear shaped a body of some sort should exist. 

Thanks again for your feedback

[Zia Rahim]

That sounds like a brilliant idea, I would love for you to add that to the garden. Let me know where you would want to put it and we can get it fit into the garden. 

Take care!

[Zia Rahim]

Patching up the walls before they can be painted would really help. Another mural would be welcome if it was garden themed, I am sure we could get together with the team and think of something.

[Zia Rahim]

Target reached! Please pay your pledge amount into the Hackspace account with ref GARDEN then add "paid" next to your name below. 

[Tom Chambers]

I've paid, where do I mark it?

[Zia Rahim]

Thank you Tom, Just add to the wiki, or I can do it for you, let me know.

[Theodoros Papatheodorou]

paid

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Everyone

Added two new sections to the wiki that include: garden helpers and plant donations.They are pretty self explanatory.

Just add your name with what you want to contribute to the wiki 

Thanks 

[Toria]

What's going on with this now?

Current status?

Thing being worked on?

What's happening and when?

It'd be really nice to have some garden before summer is over.

[Pingless]

Has anything at all happened yet on this?

Zia, could you give us an update please?

[Zia Rahim]

Hey Toria and Pingless & other members

My apologies for the late reply, was in japan for 2 weeks. Just got back and work is busier than ever. 

I took on this project when I had more time although now I have got a lot more clients and work is beyond busy.

My current proposal is that we use the money raised to buy a greenhouse, it will sit on a decking of some sort using pallets as a base. 

This will then act as something similar to the bio hackers group whereby the greenhouse will be accessible to the Garden Group members only with the surrounding garden available to all, this will allow for better control of the garden and care knowing that there is a group that is officially responsible.

The weather will be getting cold, so using a greenhouse would be a good option to grow stuff and in spring we could sow all our own seeds. We could slowly expand the garden with new beds being made closer to spring and seating etc. 

I have also spoken to other members who like this idea and believe it would also encourage other groups such as "not just arduiono" to implement temp sensors or grow lights and the bio hackers to test GMO seeds. 

Unfortunately I cannot give you a visual representation as before but I hope you can grasp this idea as a way of pushing this project forward. 

Please could you reply with "Yes I agree" and ask any questions and I will try to reply ASAP. I will also organize a Sunday in the calender to get together and build the greenhouse and surrounding pallets once I have you guys on board

[Kimball Johnson]

My current proposal is that we use the money raised to buy a greenhouse, it will sit on a decking of some sort using pallets as a base. 

This will then act as something similar to the bio hackers group whereby the greenhouse will be accessible to the Garden Group members only with the surrounding garden available to all, this will allow for better control of the garden and care knowing that there is a group that is officially responsible.

I am absolutely against this.  It moves from having a shared space that can be enjoyed by all, to a private space for a few members.  It is regrettable that you no longer have time to continue with the original plan (but excellent you have more clients congratulations), but I don't see this as a reason to switch from a shared to private proposal.

Perhaps the community can continue the original plan without you, or scrap the idea altogether and leave the space for everyones use.

Kimball