Lorne Place 'Keep Edinburgh Growing' finalists show how to do it right
Green-fingered Becky Govier and her neighbours at Lorne Place were finalists in 2005’s Keep Edinburgh Growing garden competition – shared tenement garden category.
Many people live in tenement flats in Edinburgh and a large number of their gardens are neglected wastegrounds.
Here Becky shares some of her top tips for getting started and improving your shared back green.
1) Get your neighbours involved from the start by asking for their thoughts on how your shared garden could be improved or what facilities they would like – within reason!
2) Invite their comments about any changes you propose.
3) Find out what garden tools your neighbours have already before buying new ones.
4) Show you are committed to improving your shared garden by mowing the lawn for a period, before asking for any help or money.
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5) Try establishing a lawn-mowing rota.
6) Do the quick, easy jobs first so you can make a dramatic difference and keep your motivation high (for example, removing litter and painting drying green posts).
7) If you are planning to do the gardening work yourself, ask for a minimum annual donation towards costs. Get a professional’s fee to compare.
8) When you ask for money, explain how you are planning to spend it and keep everyone up to date.
9) List the tasks you need help with and set a time.
10) Get a low-cost compost bin from the Council and encourage neighbours to collect and recycle their kitchen waste.
11) Enter your garden in the best tenement garden category of Keep Edinburgh Growing run annually by the Council and share your ambition with your neighbours.