tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post6821873239473995656..comments2024-03-15T22:09:38.879+00:00Comments on Veg Plotting: Monkton Park: Public Planting in the NewsVPhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-12656994491167061542009-04-28T08:07:00.000+01:002009-04-28T08:07:00.000+01:00Esther - the red sign will go as soon as the work ...Esther - the red sign will go as soon as the work is completed and I'm sure there'll be plenty of bollards in its place! And I still think we need something less plain just to entice people further in and to have something good to look at when passing by on the high street.VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-21618163582918911372009-04-27T23:16:00.000+01:002009-04-27T23:16:00.000+01:00But VP, you seem to have missed the colour of that...But VP, you seem to have missed the colour of that notice . . . isn't it a lovely, rich red? And the elegant silver crates on wheels? They seem to be constructed according to an interesting collapsible design. Oh, and the angle of the embankment.<br /><br />And there's another thing too . . . the malleable aspect to the landscape . . . tarmac melts so interestingly in the summer . . . and the way weeds find a way to grow up through it and make cracks . . . a token to the power of nature.<br /><br />I'm wondering if the 'Street Furniture' will include bollards. Bollards seem very popular with councils. (Such a lovely word too - 'Bollards' - good for a festival.)<br /><br />Seriously, though, a dignified, plain and safe entrance can be a very important feature for a park. If you find you and the road have fallen into the river on your way to the grass - well it takes some of the pleasure out of the day. And maybe an outburst of green and pleasantness after a less interesting approach adds to its enjoyment.<br /><br />? ? ? ?<br /><br />EstherEsther Montgomeryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05412078991551799972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-92154750590841526672009-04-27T17:26:00.000+01:002009-04-27T17:26:00.000+01:00PS I've discovered the Landscape Design Trust's we...PS I've discovered the <A HREF="http://www.landscape.co.uk/" REL="nofollow">Landscape Design Trust's website</A> which is dedicated to public open spaces and has a rich seam re public planting which I'm ploughing through at the moment.<br /><br />As I suspected, issues re budgets, vandalism, ongoing maintenance etc. doesn't mean we should settle for uninspired open spaces. As a starter for 10, you might like to have a look at <A HREF="http://www.landscape.co.uk/files/PDF/2004/7_Summer_04/p26-27,29_plant_-GP07.pdf" REL="nofollow">this article</A> by Noel Kingsbury which shows just what can be done.VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-26674523557970749882009-04-27T17:17:00.000+01:002009-04-27T17:17:00.000+01:00Nutty Gnome - didn't he just. Can we "borrow" Jaso...Nutty Gnome - didn't he just. Can we "borrow" Jason for a bit please Susan?<br /><br />Susan - that's a good question - I'll add it to the list :) As for politicians being leaders, these local ones aren't showing anything like that at all :(VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-80491922359521920582009-04-27T16:28:00.000+01:002009-04-27T16:28:00.000+01:00Is that the kind of mesh that decomposes after the...Is that the kind of mesh that decomposes after the pants grow in?<br /><br />Sorry to hear that it has erupted into a political row; I do wish politicians were actually useful...Aren't they supposed to be leaders, or something?Susan Tomlinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01532464326705599296noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-70772357519366265022009-04-27T15:21:00.000+01:002009-04-27T15:21:00.000+01:00Oh dear!
This has some similarity with the lack of...Oh dear!<br />This has some similarity with the lack of vision shown in a 'redesign'of one of Chesterfield's previously lovely but run down parks. It's now neither run down not lovely! Perhaps both towns used the same architect - pity it wasn't the architect from 'The Bicycle Garden's' post. He did a brilliant job!Nutty Gnomehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06146296943319504785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-21565998248642105272009-04-27T12:46:00.000+01:002009-04-27T12:46:00.000+01:00Hi Dave - I'm hoping to put in links to the actual...Hi Dave - I'm hoping to put in links to the actual newspaper articles if and when they appear, so you can see what's actually been said. At the moment there's just the first letter and I feel it would be a bit unbalanced to just include that ;)<br /><br />It all started with a letter from a councillor (called Is That It?)which focused mainly on the finish of the bankside mesh plus the state of the tarmac, though the planting side of things was also mentioned. When I went to look, it was obvious that the tarmac part of the work was incomplete - hence why I think there's some political point scoring going on.<br /><br />There was a very terse response on the letters page, both from the ex-leader of the now defunct North Wilts District Council AND the contractor involved plus a big article in the main part of the paper. They both confirmed the tarmac work will be completed once the planned street furniture (being made specially) is installed. I wonder if this will include some waterside picnic benches? When you look at the tarmac at the moment, there does appear to be lots of places where things will be fixed into the ground.<br /><br />It's a pity the people involved didn't use the paper to outline their vision for the finished work instead of making some extremely sarcastic remarks. A picture of the final design would have been much better and put them in a much better light.<br /><br />As far as the fencing is concerned, I think they went with that for screening Emery Gate Shopping Centre and once that solution was in place, they then extended it to the entrance part so that it would look the same. But I agree, it does look rather odd and hardly forms a welcoming entrance to the park itself. I'll add that to my list of questions :)<br /><br />I'll do a follow up article once I have some answers from my visit and/or after the work's been completed.VPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02732971362066784175noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4793702278130036246.post-47653438368453141112009-04-27T12:30:00.000+01:002009-04-27T12:30:00.000+01:00Agree with you on all points and have a couple mor...Agree with you on all points and have a couple more questions, why have they taken away the picnic benches? They used to be a good place to go and sit with a sandwich and coffee. Does anybody know if the tarmac is temporary as the sign suggests? Why the odd fencing off of this area, when the trees etc grow it will be an odd little space. That's all for now :o)Davehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13701889800625191274noreply@blogger.com