The Alice in Wonderland Garden 

 

 

Introduction

Incredible Edibles Accrington aims in Hyndburn are to:-

·         Create public spaces where food can be grown by the community and free for the community to help themselves
·         Encourage local food establishments to source food locally where able
·         Create locally sourced food – To reduce the carbon Footprint from the producer to the consumer making food more sustainable
·         Provide local children with the opportunity to learn the basic skills for growing and preparing sustainable food
·         Educate the whole family on food growing and its sustainability
·         Encourage a healthier lifestyle
·         Be involved in educational events about environmental issues
·         Demonstrate the importance of wildlife and flowers in edible planting
·         Create a community Spirit
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The aim of incredible edible Accrington  is bringing the community together using food. It has been identified in this project to give the local community the opportunity to learn basic skills for other areas of life would reach and meet the needs of the local community to a larger extent than just concentrating on food. For example literacy, history, art and crafts, design and woodwork. Oak Hill Park has a historical link to Alice in Wonderland we therefore want to use this historic literacy link.

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History, Art and Literacy
After doing some research about the history of Oak Hill Park it was established that there is a link to the Classic Book Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll. Reginald Hargreaves who had ownership of Oak Hill Park estate whilst married to Alice. Alice was who Lewis Carroll based his book Alice in wonderland on. The local community want to celebrate this and want to have an Alice in wonderland themed garden.  The local community are designing the garden and we will be commissioning local artists and wood sulputurer to help create the art works for Alice in wonderland

In a time when schools have limited money for school trips this could be a place for people to learn

 

·         Historical influences of the past

·         How literature can be fun

·         Art

 

This will be fun way for local children to learn about history, art and literature.

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Oak Hill Park and healthy eating
October 16 2011 incredible edibles Accrington carried out an Edible Audit around Oak Hill Park. We conclude that there were areas in Oakhill Park that could be improved by adding plants that in this current climate the Council may not have the budgets for maintenance or stocking plants.
Incredible Edibles Accrington would like to get the local community involved in such improvements in the parks Growing locally grown food,  with edible plants and plants that attractive to all park uses. The users include humans, Butterflies, bees and insects and any other local wildlife that we share our parks with.
In a time where food is becoming expensive a place where people can learn
·         healthy food can be very inexpensive
·         about Locally grown food
·         demonstrate what to do with the food once it’s grown
·         A place to pick their own
·         Healthily lifestyle
·         Network with others
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This would be excellent for the community and environment. Our local public parks could be such places at little cost to Hyndburn Council. In fact as we would be maintaining parts of the parks may reduce some of the pressures on the parks department to maintain our parks. So getting the community working in partnership with the council to keep Hyndburn Green spaces looking good.

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Enjoyment facility
The garden will be an interactive garden where kids can play as well as learn for example
·         Sculpture figures with the middle head missing so kids can put their head in place of the missing head.
·         Some with body parts that move.
·         Caterpillar with its back cut off for herbs and flowers,
·         Display board with thin Alice and fat Alice for healthily eating
·         Display board with the story
Other opportunities would be utilise the band stand for outdoor plays about Alice in wonderland.
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Opportunities
There could be opportunity for all sorts of groups that can use the garden to bring the community together these could include
·         Prospects having an area for food growing courses
·         Local schools that want to learn about art, design and wood subcultures
·         Locally grown food for NHS Health living campaign
·         Local schools who don’t have green space
·         Local children learning about wildlife,
·         Police Bringing up youth offenders to work on the garden
·         Scouts learning about locally grown food
·         Free place for Local families to have quality time together
·         Locals wanting to try different vegetables
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These are just a few groups that such green spaces in the town could benefit.
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Hyndburn Park department
Are supporting this concept and helping us to develop the idea to meet the parks bylaws, Health and safety requirements 
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Experience
Incredible edibles Accrington is run by three Gardeners, who all have teaching certificates and have CRB clearance. The other members in the group are also gardeners. One has experience of writing H&S risk assessments. We may have a gardening group that also want to link with us to help maintain the space. Two of the members were involved in starting the Belfield and Rothwell community garden; all three have been involved in some of prospects foundation projects which demonstrate we have the skills and commitment to achieve our aims. The group have also linked into a local artist group who have vast experience in arts projects

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The garden
Will be located
Ground behind the works department –

We would really appreciate if we could use this area as an Alice in wonderland garden.

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Incredible Edibles Accrington - Suggested ideas 

Educational board – Artwork of Alice and the historic link. Also something on the lines of a fat Alice and thin Alice and health eating to keep right size

Interactive wood sculptures – around the garden in differing sizes Interactive wood sculptures of Alice characters and related

Edible hedging along the back fence to create a barrier

Giant teapots - planters

Composting area - This area has compost bins made from what looks like pallets that have nettles growing out of them.  This area would be ideal for storing compost for us and solve our storage issue. We would want to extend the compost bins along the wall a little and create a composting place. This area the public when growing in the park or household could leave their composting material equally parks department could leave any they have from the park.

Flower beds – related to Alice and a competition every year to create a design for a flower bed perhaps local schools

Orchard – above the composting are perhaps a fruit area which would screen off the composting area. A few fruit trees and bushes. Also cot hole that Alice fell down using trees

Wildflower area- an area for the bees, butterflies and insects to enjoy

Locally Grown Food beds – these could be adopted by community groups, people to allow the community to come together and learn about food growing and nature.

Herb beds – in the raised bed area

 

Link to pond upgrade 

As this area is close to the pond that is under a current lottery bid I feel it will compliment that project and local children will receive a better education when coming for trips to the park.  

Area around the works department building -

Events

We plan to hold events to help us promote sustainable healthy growing, eating and fun education which Oak hill park will be an excellent venue. The first event to launch the garden would be a Mad Hatters tea party. This mad hatter’s tea party could be a fancy dress competition.



Conclusion

This project is supported by the Hyndburn park department whilst not costing the council any more money.  It could safely turn an underutilised are in the park to a fun interactive educational resource for the local community. This also could reduce the pressure from the parks department in maintain parks and green spaces in Hyndburn.

We would like to trial this in Oak hill and if successful perhaps we could look at other parks adopting locally grown food into themed educational green spaces.