Providing a tropical green space for the community
The last incarnation of our interior garden was planting in 2014 after we had to do a lot of work to get up to date with all the right fire safety regulations for whats classified as a 'public building'.
Now, after 10 years as a very versatile and well used public space, the indoor garden space now needs the soil replacing, the grow lights definitely need an upgrade, and a professional look at light suited plants to give colour and structure.
Our community indoor garden in 2023
The Proposed Upgrade
There are 3 elements in the proposed upgrade:
LED agricultural lights ~ Grow light technology has developed a great deal since the last lights were installed 14 years ago. Direction adjustable lights now give more power at a more appropriate spectrum, and less heat at a far lower cost. This will give a much better sustainable environment for a wider variety of plants.
Replacing the soil ~ The growing areas amongst the ornamental rocks was filled with a low quality soil 10 years ago has become compacted. This has lowered the soil level by 30cm, and left it very depleted in nutrients. We plan to remove all the old soil, and replace with new.
Planned planting ~ Until now, there has been no planned planting in the ground area around the rocks. It's been more of a hap hazard whatever-can-be-found approach to planting. With planted planting, the ground growing area can become a more dense and structured area of colour with plants that can flourish under dedicated lighting. We hope to save and replant some of the plants we already have, but how many of them will survive the adjustment is hard to predict.
Estimated Project Cost
The Essential Upgrades:
LED railed lighting to cover the 7m width of the growing space and provide the necessary 65,000 lumen to support a wide variety of low light plants - €2500 >?????<
New soil for rock planting area - 2500 liters of good quality planting soil - €500
Appropriate plants for rock planting area (approx. 40 plants) - €1000
A little history of our indoor garden
2008 to 2014
The original garden in 2008
In the 2014 the space was remodeled to comply with fire regulations in order for it to be certified as a 'public building'. The area was raised to match the level of the corridors around it.
In order to save the ornamental rocks, they were moved to build a raised gravel platform for them to sit on, and then the rock area was filled with soil for planting.
Moving the ornamental rocks away in order to build a gravel platform to raise them
With the platform in place the rocks were returned to their new level
Scaffold to maneuver some of the rocks on top of the others
2014 to present
The area at its new level, the ornamental rocks raised, and the area around them filled with soil ready for planting.
If the rocks had been left in their original positions, they would have been buried when the area was raised to its new level.
