Trelawnyd Hall Gardens Get Permaculture Redesign
By Helen P
TL;DR: A Welsh community garden is undergoing a permaculture redesign to improve aesthetics, accessibility, and ecological sustainability, using a structured design framework.
- Community garden redesigned with permaculture principles.
- Focus on aesthetics, accessibility, and sustainability.
- New features: flower border, drought-tolerant plants, widened path.
- Water management and waste recycling implemented.
- Design followed the CEAP framework for permaculture projects.
Why it matters: Community gardens offer a tangible way to implement permaculture principles locally, providing ecological benefits and fostering community engagement. This example showcases a practical design process for such initiatives.
Do this next: Research the CEAP framework for permaculture design and consider applying it to a small-scale garden project you are planning.
Recommended for: Community leaders, garden volunteers, and permaculture enthusiasts interested in practical strategies for urban green spaces.
The Trelawnyd Memorial Hall Gardens in North Wales are undergoing a redesign, building upon previous permaculture work initiated in 2023. This earlier effort involved establishing a "Go Green Group" (GGG) to manage various environmental projects within the Trelawnyd community, including the maintenance of the Memorial Hall gardens, which had been originally landscaped approximately 25 years prior.
The current redesign project focuses on enhancing the existing garden space around the hall, which is leased by the Trelawnyd Community Association from the community council. The new plan incorporates several key features aimed at improving aesthetics, accessibility, and ecological sustainability. These include the introduction of a vibrant flower border to add color, the continued upkeep of the grassed areas with the addition of more spring bulbs for seasonal interest, and a dedicated section for drought-tolerant plants. Near the memorial, poppies will be planted, likely to honor its purpose.
Accessibility is a significant consideration in the redesign, with plans to widen the existing path to ensure easier access for all visitors. From an ecological perspective, the design integrates practical solutions for water management and waste recycling. A water butt will be installed to collect rainwater, providing a sustainable source for watering plants, particularly during dry periods. Furthermore, a compost area will be established behind the building, allowing for the recycling of all plant waste. This compost will then be used to enrich the soil and nourish the plants within the garden, creating a closed-loop system that aligns with permaculture principles.
The design process for this project followed a structured framework known as CEAP: Collect the information, Evaluate the information, Apply permaculture principles, and Plan a schedule of implementation, maintenance, and feedback. The permaculture design principles developed by Mollison and Slay were specifically utilized during the planning phase and were also suggested for parts of the evaluation. Various tools were employed to inform the design, including maps, artistic renderings of the proposed planting schemes, soil tests to understand the existing conditions, a questionnaire to gather community input, a mind map for brainstorming ideas, and a client checklist to ensure all requirements were met.
The project officially commenced in March 2025, with the comprehensive design being finalized in February 2026. The subsequent phases of implementation and ongoing maintenance are anticipated to begin later in the current year, contingent upon securing the necessary funding. This project is categorized under "Land and nature stewardship" within the "Practical Solutions Categories" and represents a "Full design" stage. The design was completed by Helen P and has been fully assessed as a diploma design.