11 Month Alleyway Garden Update

[@CloudGardenerUK]

I designed this garden for the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show but had the community in mind every step of the way. 11 months on and it looks even more awesome. You can watch the series from design stage all the way till today in the playlist below: kzbin.info/aero/PLoPrHwBDtt_lh6NL8RlJLBkt2mPju470t&si=knL4nLGcnGHEimty

[@CloudGardenerUK]

As a Local Nature Champion for Manchester, it's part of my job to help transform these grey spaces green. Does anyone else think we should have more community gardening projects like this in our towns & cities?

[@blue2mato312]

This is amazing work! I have just started seeing the update and had to pause thinking how on earth could apples and figs have come so far already lol. Community gardening projects is the way forward, they should be everywhere!! And also provide some shelter for wildlife, the benefits to both humans and nature are immense. Good luck I hope people are encouraged to do the same wherever they are and councils should REALLY take note, love from Norway ❤️💖❤️

[@kayrodriques3124]

Most definitely!

[@ChopsyMiche]

This is absolutely beautiful. What an absolute dream this is. It looks so incredible. Such a wonderful, uplifting space for the residents to immerse themselves in. I'm blown away by this💚💜💚

[@penelopehammerton2907]

👏 bravo, you have come such a long way. A great alley design, fruit trees and flowers and even a little siitting out sitting area. And now gates, that's great. And 👏 bravo to the residents for keeping it up. Hope this idea catches on and more bleak spaces can be turned around like this one 🧑‍🌾

[@CloudGardenerUK]

Thank you soo much Penelope! It's been a real journey with this garden. I went about it the complete opposite way to a normal showgarden. I had to really think about the community first and out their needs/wants into the design to ensure that they were invested into the garden. I think it has really paid off and now the with the gates.. I think the garden will get even better as more of the residents will feel safer using the garden ❤️

[@sianscountrylife4925]

I lived very near to Manchester City stadium. We had a small yard and there was a very similar alley at the back . Absolutely wonderful to see how well the plants are doing! ❤ Wonderful to see how vibrant everything is ❤❤❤

[@CloudGardenerUK]

There are so many of these unloved alleys in Manchester. The fly tipping on them is absolutely awful! It speaks volumes that creating spaces like this dramatically reduce the amount of flytipping ❤️

[@sianscountrylife4925]

@CloudGardenerUK I worked with a group in Reddish Vale Country Park many years ago . We won an environmental award for the restoration and projects that we were involved with . Have you ever visited there ? Wonderful place and around 75 hectares! We had difficulty in the beginning with some negativity from the community who told us that everything would get vandalised etc etc . I had a zero tolerance to that and regardless of graffiti and things being broken - I made sure that these things were dealt with a fixed immediately...we had about 3 months of trouble and then it all stopped. After that, we were left alone, and the park was an absolute natural haven for everyone and, of course, wildlife too.

[@hannahoron9740]

These gardening projects are always very inspiring! It shows that there are plenty of people who want to invest in something green and beautiful! Often their efforts are more or less against the odds. Very inspiring! Greetings and blessings from a kindred spirit in Holland!

[@AlicedeTerre]

I left this suggestion for your balcony garden but another place where the solar automatic drip irrigation or wine bottle in watering stakes will help with the water situation. Building out the containers to have thicker walls would help prevent drying out too if it's not an issue to make the containers heavier. Since there has been some theft, I also wouldn't wonder if a free table for people to give out prunings, propagations, etc might help? Won't necessarily prevent malicious actors for sure introduces an element of giving to the wider community.

[@darlinemcginity8996]

I think this is a great idea something for the community to work together on. Some communities are so spread out, but this is something that the community can see the outcome of their labor.❤

[@ohkaymo]

The garden looks incredible! Love this update and adore all of the joy you've brought to the community

[@CloudGardenerUK]

Thank you soo much! Also, thank you for watching!! ❤️❤️

[@Mary_Poppy108]

The garden looks so awesome🌱🌻🌼🌺

[@KatMcNamara-fh1nc]

Thank you for the update. I am rooting (😉) for the plants and the community. ❤️From Canada

[@CloudGardenerUK]

Thank you sooo much! 💚💚 Do you have these type of alleys in Canada? ❤️❤️

[@kayrodriques3124]

Just lovely! I hope the birds will come too, then you will have birdsong!

[@sean6387]

As time passes the alley will mature and develop in different ways. I'm looking forward to seeing how it grows. It's a pity about gates being necessary, but the allure of a secret walled garden is magical. Let's be thankful to the locals who invest time, energy and love into improving their community.

[@Dandelion--]

A glorious sight and a marvellous achievement! Many congratulations, (You are so talented and creative!).

[@CloudGardenerUK]

Thank you soo much! It really feels good to be able to return each month and document the gardens progress but also see how much love the community have been putting into it. Hopefully, I can help inspire more people to use their own grey spaces and turn them green like this too! ❤️

[@blue2mato312]

Look at Mister Tortellinis garden go! 😍So colourful and amazing that the annuals are surviving. Probably the alley serves as a walled garden creating a different climate for annuals to become perennials. I hope more residents will regularly use the space after the gates come up. And Ihope neighbouring alleys will get the inspiration to transform their own alleys ❤️ As usual love from Norway 💚🌸

[@shilpapatel5]

I use to live in a community close to Moss Side, wish there was a project like this when I was around. This is beautiful, great job!

[@CloudGardenerUK]

You probably know better than anyone how those alleys can end up looking like awful, with the rats & flytipping. Thankfully, the majority of that has stopped now :)

[@shilpapatel5]

@@CloudGardenerUK Oh yes, I've had my share of these experiences and some ... Happy gardening and thank you for your time and effort !!!

[@Sellers707]

Thanks for sharing this video. That alley garden looks so nice. So well put together. Have a blessed day 😊

[@CloudGardenerUK]

I'm so glad that you enjoyed this video & garden! Fingers crossed it will continue to look good for years to come! ❤️💚❤️

[@angelapalmer3542]

Beautiful use of space. I wished a lot of the alleyways here in Birmingham were set up like yours.. interesting. Thanks for sharing...

[@TheCornishCottageGarden-bs5lf]

Loved seeing this on GW, still looking really good 😊

[@CloudGardenerUK]

Thank you soo much!! I actually think it looks better here in Moss Side than it did on tv & at the show 🙈🥰

[@TheCornishCottageGarden-bs5lf]

@@CloudGardenerUK nothing beats seeing a garden up close, next time i'm up that way, I really must check it out!

[@sharonphelps]

It looks beautiful 🌼 🌸 🌻 🌼 🌸

[@CloudGardenerUK]

@@sharonphelps thank you ❤❤

[@wildflower0619]

What is the name of the peachy pink roses you have planted? Everything looks lovely.

[@AJsGreenThumbLLC]

Outstanding Jason! It's so awesome to see the success of the Alleyway gardens. Who would of thought??? An ORCHARD?? All of those yummies makes the space so inviting. Well done😍🤩

[@josephinePs41]

I'm in the US, but can waterbarrels serve as a way to water the alley on dry weeks?

[@CloudGardenerUK]

Yes! We have a water butt that we use to collect rain water. It has the big ivy and the snapdragons on top. The issue is that they are really expensive and we have to try and get permission from landlords to redirect the guttering (Most people on the alley are renting). So our next priority is to start raising funds so that we can buy some more :)

[@blue2mato312]

If money was somehow raised or given by the council could you get outdoor taps for hoses? Btw the planted up waterbutt is inspirational!