Permanent Gardens Guidelines (Front + General)
PRIORITIES
+ Garden beds, the message we are a nursery is first priority
+ Review watering systems in October (including Sculpture garden, discuss with Marika) setup before mid November
+ One of copper planters is on wonky angle, carefully straighten using crowbar, without damaging, (Can lever to fibreglass containers below)
+ Getting rid of oxalis in front garden bed (Some in area near jap garden…Spray..
+ There is a Eucalypt branch hanging down in front of trailer. Keep shrubs & trees river end of carpark pruned so is very clear view of BAAG when coming from Heidleberg
+ Record how timers watering system for garden beds in front of BAAG work, what where etc and put next to timers on wall in in clock on room
+ Need to build walls of water meter box up and put long term cover over it, final level should be few cm above the level of the soil level
+ What watering/mulching should we be doing in front gardens over summer, is it covered?
+ Importance of not blocking view to nurs from road (and low planting where can view nursery)
+ Front garden (watering system)
+ What time allocating to gardens, do not let it grow (time that is, plants can grow happily), is fixed time, keep in simple and colours have to be complementary to mural, front fence etc and informal theme we are promoting
GUIDELINES
The front garden of Bulleen Art and Garden is our shop-front. Given the volume of traffic that passes our door every day, or shop-front must provide enough impact to ensure it is noticed by all those passing our Garden Centre. Not only must it be noticed, it must also convey a sound message to all potential customers.
The message we wish to convey to our potential customers is one of understated style with a touch of quirky individuality. To have impact the front garden requires a well considered design with a consistent theme.
The current theme, promotes the use of grasses and strap leaf plants interspersed with masses of annuals of a dominant colour. Nearer to the driveway entrance a produce feel is to be incorporated into the overall design.
The grass theme was chosen for a number of reasons.
– Illustrates latest trends in design using ornamental grasses.
– Soft informal appeal.
– Minimal maintenance and water requirements.
– Demonstrates design basics using various heights and colour contrasts.
– Natural appearance blends well with surrounding parkland and indigenous roadside plantings.
Design considerations
– Clear views into the nursery and Food Forest must be maintained. All plantings in front of the sculptural fence between the Japanese Garden and the seedling gate should be below .5m in height.
– Plantings in front of the mural wall can vary in height but a gap of 1m must always be maintained between the mural pieces and the top of the plants directly in front of them.
Massed annuals such as pansies or petunias make up the foreground of the mural wall. A single bold colour must be chosen which is then repeated in the narrow drive beds, the trailer, and all other containers. Spots of this colour can also be planted in front of the sculptural fence to continue the theme. The colour choice must be complementary to the colour of the mural wall.
Plant selection
Any variation in plant species planted in the front garden should be checked by the Nursery Manager.
Also refer to the Sustainable Design Principles in the Policies section of the Job descriptions folder.
Weekly Maintenance
– All weeds, leaves and rubbish need to be removed on a weekly basis.
– Check all plants for dead/untidy foliage or flowers.
– Remove and replace any dead annuals.
– Check for pests and treat if necessary.
– Top up mulch if necessary.
– Sweep paths, edgings and entrance.
– Basic maintenance of the roadside garden bed.
– Maintain sculpture in front car park so does not look tacky
– Maintain signs at front of nursery, ed stop signs parking at rear
– Keep area around turtle clean, tidy and trimmed
Monthly maintenance
– Apply organic fertiliser.
– Light trim of annuals if required.
– Burst of colour in the hanging baskets needs to be maintained to be looking its best year round
+ Guidelines on theme planting for gardener and not just what looks good at time dumped in garden, is part of job description that to change plans authorised with nurs manager, Given do want garden to continually evolve
+ Tree pruning program at front Discuss with BP how go about Citriodora at front +
DEVELOPMENTAL DISCUSSION/IDEAS
FRONT /ENTRANCE/SCULPTURE GARDENS
+ Copper pots closest to road right along front, cylinder, in front of post, top at what height
+ Plans for front gardens, Thinking about front gardens …using more decorative food plants and indigenous…with mind for keeping maintenance manageable
+ Plant colorful, indigenous cottage-like plants in garden beds at front of the nursery, near road
+ hanging baskets, thought maybe go for more traditional color, e.g perennial petunias of something, they are the message we are a nursery, gotta work them hard and keep rest of maintenance affordable, (and top of cylinders with billowing color would give powerful message to road
+ Garden design work at front, specifying planting, more produce feel as get along at entrance to shop, and down drive
+ Working bee front gardens on a Thursday night, particularly in slower periods (Discuss with Nursery manager and request if nec in slower periods)
+ Decide location bike parking, do we incorporate near road with pervious pavers, between gates and front carpark instead of in front of tanks, (In front of tanks put product range of tanks for pickup now) Good if bike stands were portable/movable, maybe all need is few bits of angle iron under them.
+ More of Merri’s sculpture would give bit of continuity to whole front
ENTRANCE FOYER
+ Tree: To front of BAAG, with few Merri’s cockies or something in, painted full on, high gloss, out there, colour, with few brightly painted nest boxes, message about the relevance of organic matter/trees to other critters we share the planet with. Set it up in one of the cylinders so we can fork it around, iridescent green.
+Joe’s mural
+ Vitclay Pipe idea, simulating organ pipes, small near turtle, big in other corner, also idea from flower show as edge garden bed between pedestrian and vehicle traffic
SHOP ENTRANCE DOOR
+ Entrance to shop. Fan shape with Justins small steel shapes around the top arch, so it is a feature, just need bent bar.
+ Still need to design to shop/entrance so it looks like entrance, same door with wider feel, wide fanned effect archway around it or something
DRIVEWAY
+Trolley return, has to face road, customers are gonna dump in easiest location, probably look best if on driveway side???
+ See Image and Style document, Continuing message about sort of place we are
+ Bulleen Art & Garden signs to road have to be first focus.
+ Minimise ongoing labor costs into gardens etc at front.