Christian Path - a blank canvas

[malcolmfraser]

Christian Path links Windsor Place (where I live) and Brighton Place. It's recently been resurfaced and upgraded and new lighting put in so it's a much better path.

Having spoken to a couple of people in the council (who I also work for) it seems there's no plan/funds left over to plant up the sides of the path. The sides are currently mostly bare soil and litter, slowly filling up with docks and nettles.

This seems like a great opportunity to brighten up a small corner of Portobello that will look neglected really quickly if left to it's own devices. I'd like to see a bright mix of flowers and some fruit bushes in there...

Is anyone else interested?

Cheers
Malcolm

[Grunk]

I didn't know that path existed,

Is it also a cycleway?

[malcolmfraser]

Aye - Sustrans put some money into the upgrade so it's a cyclepath and footpath.

[Mark Cameron]

It's a great path - used it to get to the Village show on my bike on Sunday and what a difference. Would be happy to be involved Malcolm. Is it maybe a local community project we could get local schools involved with too?

[Pal of Porty]

I too cycled back from the Village Fair on the Christian Path! I have used this path a lot but more as a way of avoiding the dreaded Brighton Place cobbles rather than a shortcut.

[Bazza]

I might be interested! Did you have anything in mind?

[Bob Jefferson]

Great idea Malcolm. The new surface is a huge improvement. It's a safe route to school for hundreds of schoolchildren and a convenient short-cut to Earthy for those of us in the west side of Porty. I think some of the over-hanging foliage still requires a bit of pruning though. Much of it originates in private gardens, which is why it may not have been tackled. Yet.

[malcolmfraser]

Hi - sorry to take so long to reply.

I did't have anything really specific in mind, but thinking about it - I'd like to see one side of the path left 'wild' and one side planted up with flowers and fuit.

It makes sense to me to leave the west side wild - the steep bank is already think with plants and clearing it would be a big job - so good to leave that side to grow wild.

But most of the east side of the path has been cleared back to the soil and it makes sense to plant that up before it revets to docks and nettles. I'd personally like to see a load of fruit bushes planted in there, something like the berry hedge at Pilrig Park, with a mix of herbaceous perennial flowering plants on the ground layer, maybe a fruit tree at the Windsor Road end. But anything would be good!

There are some small grants available, such as the ones from CSV Action Earth: http://www.actionearth.org.uk/ - they have a £250 biodiversity grant that we could apply for. That would buy a lot of plants if spent wisely, the nursery at Newhailes is a good place to buy fruit bushes etc.

I wondered about putting a notice up on the path to see if any more people are interested? Possibly also speaking to Earthy Goods to see if they could put up a poster or donate some plants?

[Maria]

I know I'm going to sound like a wet blanket here Malcolm, but if you plant up an area with those sort of shrubs/trees etc it will take regular, timeconsuming maintenance. Ad hoc arrangements can quickly fall apart and a couple of years down the line we could have a very overgrown path and a beleaguered Council explaining that it isn't their responsibility to maintain planting done by others.

Nettles may not sound attractive to us, but butterflies like them Be Nice to Nettles Week

[malcolmfraser]

You're right - I definitely don't want anything high maintenance, and I'm happy to leave plenty of native plants for bees and butterflies (I work in nature conservation!). I would like to see something more horticultural in there though, at least at the Windsor Road end, so it doesn't look abandoned.

Maybe I should have a chat with Scott Thomson, the Council's Parks Officer for the area, to see what he suggests for low maintenance planting. His pictorial meadow in Figgate Park is fantastic.

[Maria]

Sounds as though you know your stuff Malcolm. I'll worry no more. I agree Scott Thomson has done fantastic things with Figgate Park. He has some good ideas for Rosefield Park too, if only he had the funds.