Community project blossoms

Creative volunteers made new waterfront garden possible, says Peter Nurick from V&A Dundee

It was a wonderful moment when a team of volunteers descended on the V&A Dundee Community Garden.

With sleeves rolled up and trowels in hand they helped that corner of Slessor Gardens come alive in more ways than one. Flowers, shrubs and grasses filled the space, as did the sound of chatting and laughter as everyone got stuck in.

As the V&A Dundee’s Communities Producer I have watched this project grow from being a proposal on a piece of paper into a fantastic space for everyone to share – so this moment for me was extra special.

It took five days to complete the planting and despite the wind and rain, of which there was plenty, a steady stream of volunteers from across Dundee took part.

It was not just those with green fingers who gave up their time to help, people new to gardening got involved too. Among the volunteers were Dundonians of all ages and backgrounds and we were delighted to see The Courier reporter Jamie Milligan arrive, ready to pitch in.

The garden was one of the first community projects developed by V&A Dundee. The original idea was to create a space in Slessor Gardens that would link the city to the new museum on the banks of the River Tay.

We wanted to design a space that would truly belong to the people of Dundee and of which they would be proud. We also wanted to show how design can be part of everyone’s life and demonstrate how it can have a positive impact on things like health and wellbeing.

The first thing we did was find a fantastic group of people who could take on the challenge of redesigning the 100 square metre plot.

With the help of Art Angel, a Dundeebased organisation run by and for people with experience of mental health difficulties, we called on the help of 20 members of the public, many living with and recovering from a range of health and welling issues.

Working together with professional designers the team took part in seven workshops, each guiding them through a different aspect of the design process.

These workshops included visiting allotments to learn how people use gardens to rest and relax, a trip to the Dundee Botanic Gardens to learn about different types of plants, sketching designs and creating miniature gardens.

After the design was finalised the next stage was to build it, and for this we were extremely fortunate to be able to call on the help of our friends at Careys Civil Engineering, the specialist subcontractor which built V&A Dundee’s curved concrete walls. It is thanks to Careys that the garden became a reality.

The final design includes a sunken area for people to gather and relax, a small staged area perfect for public talks, a “living wall” to help provide shelter and a structure inspired by ferns to collect rainwater.

The third and final stage involved dozens of Dundonians who responded to an appeal for garden volunteers.

Joined by some of the original design team they did a fantastic job, and I would like to thank them all for their hard work.

I would also like to thank the players of People’s Postcode Lottery, whose support of this project has been so vital, as well as the Mathew Trust, Tesco Bags of Help, professional designer Linsey McIntosh and design studio kennedytwaddle.

We celebrated the achievements of everyone involved with a ribbon-cutting ceremony and it was great to see so many people gathered in the garden, having a good time.

The V&A Dundee Community Garden will become a place for people to meet and socialise, for events and talks to be held and for passers-by to stop and admire. But the project did not end when the gates opened.

Volunteers will continue to play an integral part, helping to maintain the garden as it grows and evolves.