This video outlines some of the benefits of sustainable landscape principles and how they can be incorporated into the planning of our homes and cities.

Outside activities may not hold as much appeal today with television, PCs, computer games and smart phones. So what is the problem? The fact that endless amounts of educational information can be downloaded to our fingertips in seconds must mean our children have the edge when it comes to learning? The problem is they don’t! Statistics from the PISA Tests, the Programme for International Student Assessment show the UK academically lagging behind other counties in the world rankings. Today reading has been replaced with other forms of information technology and modern media; children grow up watching flashing image after flashing image obliterating their ability to concentrate on one concept for any length of time. There is a rising problem with disruptive pupils and Attention Deficit Disorder now commonly diagnosed in young students. A recent study also found that social media is resulting in children sleeping less talking to friends in their rooms until late hours, affecting their ability to concentrate. These things were unheard of thirty years ago with the majority of youth entertainment being outside the home.

The UK now has the highest rate of child obesity in Western Europe, which is estimated to cost the NHS about £4.2bn a year. It is now predicted that by 2050 over 50% of the population will be obese, a very worrying trend. This problem is not easy to tackle as it is a combination of bad diets and inactivity due to an ever more sedentary lifestyle, made worse by modern entertainment technology.

In 1995 China adopted a national fitness initiative ‘The Physical Health Law’ of the Peoples Republic of China. This imposed a series of rules and regulations on top of large investment in public sports facilities and multi functional open spaces for a diverse array of physical activities to be accessible to the population.  A survey released by the State Physical Culture Administration indicates that at present 33.9% of the population between 7 and 70 exercises regularly and 60.7 percent of the urban population goes to sports clubs to engage in fitness activities. 37 percent of China's total population participates in regular physical exercises and about 95 percent of young students meet the ‘National Physical Exercise Standard’.

The question is, could this type of initiative work in the UK? The idea of making it law to exercise and keep fit seems rather harsh and I could not see the British public adhering to such a state intervention. An annual health examination to see if any given child reaches the ‘national standard’ would be seen as cruel, degrading, not to mention humiliating.

On the build up to the 2012 Olympic Games in London the government invested millions of pounds into sports facilities for schools and public open spaces. Vast regeneration projects meant sport facilities became more accessible to people. This combined with public enthusiasm for the games helped Britain in winning a spectacular amount of medals and created an enhanced feeling of national pride and sporting achievement. 

So why with all this investment and achievement are we still becoming unhealthier and obesity is still rising? The games were a fantastic thing for the country, but will its sporting legacy live on? Wimbledon is a great British sporting event internationally recognized and watched by millions. For the two weeks Wimbledon is scheduled on our TV screens every year and for the subsequent two weeks after you can walk up and down Britain, go into any public park and every tennis court is full. But if you go a month after you will be lucky to see one court in use and for the remainder of the year these will mostly be empty.

Landscapes need to be multifunctional and diverse in our schools and open spaces in order for them to be effective for people. Places for sport are important and mown grass has a very important multi functional part to play in recreation.  Landscapes of the future need to excite and inspire us to interact with them, if not the next generation will always choose the unhealthy option.

We live in a world of rising energy costs, child obesity, biodiversity destruction, global warming, atmospheric pollution, urbanization and social degradation. Landscapes around us must provide food, education, wildlife habitat, community spirit, exercise, energy security, climate control, flood defense, waste recycling, theatre and excitement. This can all be achieved with good design and management.

A school landscape scheme above all should embody the educational representation of these issues combined in an ecosystemic spatial arrangement which teaches the children about the interconnectivity of the natural world they live in providing multifunctional spaces for various activities.

In traditional Chinese gardens using Feng Shui principles, gardens act as reenactments of the natural world as a microcosm. A pointed rock would represent a mountain a pond would represent a great lake and this would give the garden reference to the real life.

Many modern day topical issues such as eating healthily, energy conservation, biodiversity, exercise and waste recycling can be represented, taught and actively practiced on school grounds in appropriately designed eco gardens.   A school yard habitat serves as a living laboratory where students can engage in hands on inquiries into the natural world ideal for science lessons.

Gardening is great exercise for children and if they are involved in the creation and maintenance of an area they learn to respect the hard work and skill necessary to produce and maintain an attractive environment.  A great sense of pride and achievement can be gained from this sort of hands on outside activity with the added benefit of developing a lifelong interest in conservation and nature conservation.

 School landscape schemes should go further than just a ‘wildlife area’ or a ‘vegetable area’ school grounds should be a fully functional ecosystem and children should actively understand their place in it. The types of beneficial landscape features which can be added are endless but for there to be an interactive educational value for the students good design must be applied.

If there is a part of the school site which is liable to flooding in winter meandering dry river beds can be channelled out into a new retention pond. This can be fenced off for safety and stocked with native wetland plants and used in science lessions. This new habitat will give children a visual reference to natural hydraulic processes in the landscape as well as providing a wildlife watching area. The dry river beds can channel storm water through vegetable beds providing irrigation instead of wasting, money, energy and time with manmade watering systems.

Overgrown disused edges to school boundaries can be planted with nut and fruit orchards giving height and elevation to flat sterile playing fields. Lower canopies can be planted with small fruit bushes like gooseberries then perennial vegetables like artichokes. As well as providing food this will give areas of enclosure and seasonal interest. Within these new food forests gravel clearings can be dotted about, allowing children to form new groups perhaps a bird watching group in one area and a yoga group in another.

Commercial ride-on mowers are some of the most polluting machines inside our towns and cities. Instead of schools paying expensive private contractors to cut 14 times per year animals such as goats could be grazed with the money more economically spent on other things. This would improve air quality and add other educational productive elements to the school community.

Not all students are born academics, some students have talents beyond the curriculum’s subject base and some disruptive disinterested pupils could benefit themselves and other students by opting out of one or two subjects and working towards a practical certificate, conducting projects and improvements on the school grounds. This could be managing livestock or growing food from the site. With a multifunctional school landscape scheme based on ecology more learning opportunities could be explored for all types of students.  

Outside class rooms and activities can help enhance concentration inside the class room. It has been proven that interacting with green environments relieves stress and improves behaviour. Charitable organisations such as ‘Thrive’ are built on this logic. This organisation gets together ex-alcoholics or people with mental illness to practice gardening regularly, with life changing results for its participants.

Some of the biggest problems we have socially today are inside high density, urban environments. Family breakdown is the single biggest source of every other urban problem we see in society today be it gangs, drugs, prostitution or violence. The strongest, healthiest communities on the planet are the small farming or fishing communities of the world where people live close to the land. Strong family and community bonds are built on team efforts with a spiritual well being of living close to and working with nature.

Can these communities be replicated inside modern British cities? Yes! And there are examples, just walk onto any allotment in the inner City of London and it does not matter if they are Turkish, Chinese, Jamaican, Nigerian, Romanian, Iraqi, Polish or Irish the result is always the same, a healthy, friendly, interactive community brought together by this basic cord inside all of us.

School gardens must allow a diversity of captivating activities which educates children about the world we live in a sustainable context. More ecological landscape schemes in schools will add extra activities for less academically able students and enhance the academic qualities of those who are. 

In an era of peaking oil extraction, schools and public open spaces in Britain should be at the forefront of sustainable landscape development and use this process to enhance the performance of its educational establishments.  

The structure of the Welldon Park scheme is very simple consisting of a new woodland pathway or nature trail, that twists and meanders around the school, creating a journey through various new landscape types. In the morning and at home time parents would commonly amass outside the school gates creating an impassable mass of bodies. Since the nature trail was installed parents and students walk a circuit of the trail exploring areas of the school that were before unused.  Along the nature trail there are seating areas to allow for contemplation, group activities and outside classes. Existing woodland areas have been thinned to create transitional zones of wildlife value and allow access for nature discovery. The woodland thinning has given opportunities to plant more diverse plant species including fruiting shrubs and perennial vegetables.  New native woodland plants and bulbs have been planted in and amongst sculptural log piles to encourage insects to thrive. The combination of wild planting, deadwood, wild meadows, drainage swales, bog gardens, nature watching huts, a fruit orchard and an outside theatre has encouraged pupils to perceive outside space with enthusiasm.

The Outside Theatre

The Outside theatre provides the opportunity for performance and drama. Children can formulate an array of constructive play scenarios around this type of landscape feature. The Theatre is multi functional and can also be used for outside performance, lectures, community groups, after school clubs or used as an extra classroom.

The Wild Flower Meadow

The Meadow is a tapestry of native grasses and wild flowers. In the last 100 years we have lost 90 percent of our meadow land due to intensive farming methods. The food and shelter from the flowering plants produce food for creatures higher up the food chain such as bats, lizards, birds, hedgehogs, voles and other small mammals. Many native wild plants found inside meadows have numerous medicinal and environmental indicator qualities. Species identification can become a worthwhile outside class activity. In an urban environment meadows help to cool nearby buildings in summer and raise their temperature in winter. They can also reduce flash flooding in heavy rain.  Meadows are an alternative to mown grass which is expensive to maintain consuming a lot of energy and with machinery which pollutes the environment. Meadows only have to be cut once or twice a year and the hay can be used as fodder for animals or composted.

The Orchard

In Britain today our farming relies heavily on fossil fuels, large powerful machines plough our fields planting grains and annual crops producing food for animals and people. The problem is Oil prices are rising quickly as extraction peaks and at some point in the future it will be economically unviable to produce food as we have since the industrial revolution. A huge percentage of modern farming is already heavily subsidised by the government with Britain importing the majority of its food.  Before the age of combine harvesters and tractors nut and fruit orchards were common in Britain. The population relied on this permanent low energy input food production and will eventually come to rely on this again. Ironically the type of food produced in orchards is the healthiest to consume for a balanced diet. Processed carbohydrates such as flour and sugars are the source of many modern health issues such as type 2 diabetes and Obesity. Nut orchards produce the same amount of carbohydrate per square metre as grains about 2 ton per acre with the advantage of being a low energy input system.  Nuts as well as providing staple carbohydrates are rich in essential omega 3 fatty acids which are lacking in many of our diets and essential for brain development in children.

Woodland Habitats  

There were already some established trees along the nature trail route with some dense tree scrub along the boundary fence. Scrub was thinned and a diverse array of native woodland plants was planted within the woodland. Dead wood was brought to the site to try to kick start the process of natural decomposition and recycling. Dead wood habitat is an essential component to woodlands providing shelter for small creatures and food for complex fungi systems. The woodland areas provide many educational and fun activities for the children including, climbing, den building, wildlife watching, scientific surveys and Creative pursuits.

Outside Classrooms

Large circular areas with sleeper benches and surfaced with free binding gravel make up the multifunctional outside classrooms. Large vertical round posts provide opportunities for shelter from the elements as well as exhibition displays.  These external spaces can be used for group discussions, martial arts, after school clubs, reading, storytelling and teaching.

Wetland Drainage Bogs

Water is an important part of any landscape, especially for wildlife and educational gardens. At Welldon Park we excavated a bog area at the lowest part of the site. We created a series of pebble swales which feed excess storm water into the bog area. This basic drainage system visually communicates natural landscape processes to the children and teaches them the landscape is a living entity. Standing water is always a safety issue in schools but these swales and bogs are designed to be just moist to the touch. The damp areas combined with the wetland meadow plants have created a landscape teeming with wildlife and ecology. These areas can be case studies incorporated into curriculum subjects such as geography, environmental science, biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics.

Today is a great day as the chickens have arrived, meet Tikka (red), Madras (black), and Masala (white). They are all chickens at the POL or point of lay however they are still a little young and I may have no eggs for at least two weeks. To be honest I am not bothered as they are delightful birds full of character a real pleasure to have on the farm.

The ladder system you see on the left is very often used in France to allow chickens to be completely free range and able to climb back to the safety of their roosts. This however takes some training and tonight I will have to place them back inside.

I have added as many different stimulants as possible to the enclosure. The chickens wild ancestor the Jungle Fowl is a forest bird so a cherry tree has been planted inside along with an existing apple tree. Watch this space.

Today I have been sowing the six main crops I want to grow in the tunnel this season. In the past I have fallen into the trap of growing anything and everything which has resulted in waste. This year I have formulated a shopping list and will be aiming to successional sow to avoid a glut of produce all at the same time. This is not such a problem with the more exotic crops which will be in the tunnel. Usually the strategy here is to  start crops such as chillies early so they will reach maturity sooner producing fruits throughout the year.

The six crops for the tunnel I am sowing are; Beef Tomatoes, Mixed Chillies, Aubergine, Pepper, Water melon and Pumpkin Atlantic Giant.

In my opinion one of the best things you can do for your vegetable growing is install some sort of glass house or ploytunnel. These will allow you to grow some crops almost all year, grow exotics during summer and generally extend your growing season by a 30%. I never once doubted polytunnels can withstand extremely strong winds as long as they are securely anchored and have a complete air seal. Needless to say my enthusiasm to erect the new tunnel outweighed my urgency to install maximum wind protection. A week after putting up the tunnel 80 mile an hour winds struck.

From conducting copious research on keeping chickens I can think of no better livestock for the Ecospaces Urban Farm. Not only am I hoping to be able to produce eggs the chickens should give the farm a constant supply of natural fertiliser for the crops. This will have to composted first as the high nitrogen content of the fresh droppings can burn the plants.

The coop has been constructed of external grade ply raised on each corner by 100x100mm treated posts, I built it to be robust as I am not taking any chances the local foxes are cunning and quite capable of breaking through flimsy construction. I have allowed the roof to overhang slightly with roofing felt to make sure it does not become damp inside. I have varnished the inside as well as out this will make it easier to clean out and will discourage red mite which once you get is hard to get rid of.

I initially planned to just have a 6 feet fence of 13mm galvanised chicken mesh as a run for the chickens. I was horrified to learn foxes can jump this height so I added a roof to this and sunken mesh into the ground to stop foxes trying to dig underneath. I have a small pop hole for the chickens to access the run and a large side door so I can enter the coop to clean it and retrieve any eggs from the nest boxes.

With all the flooding over this winter I thought it would be fitting to create a case study on the old Kodak factory site in Wealdstone Harrow. This site has flooded periodically for years I find it interesting that a carpet of new housing is being proposed once again in a flood risk area. I have created an Ecospaces proposal below that will create housing but also realise and utilise the natural process of the site.

This proposal joins up natural features in the surrounding area to create a larger more diverse landscape in which to live for the residence of Harrow & Wealdstone. The project explores the concept of the old Kodak site becoming an ‘eco village’ set in an idealistic wetland park.  

For years the urban centres of Harrow have suffered an over layering of new development and road networks which have caused a dense mass of urban degeneration.  The solution to regeneration in Harrow is provoking an environment that works with nature creating ecological harmony between the landscape and people who reside there.  The ecological proposal featured in this flyer allows residents to shop, volunteer, grow food, rest, play, live and enjoy nature.

Flooding and Wildlife.

Over the last 50 years Harrow has spent Millions of pounds preventing flooding in this area of the borough. The reason for this is the underlying natural process of Headstone, Wealdstone. The area is a catchment area for storm water where numerous waterways begin their journey into the River Brent. Many years ago this was a wetland habitat for now rare wildlife in the borough. 

The Eco Village Scheme allows wetlands to absorb the water in heavy rainfall, reducing floods and creating an environment buzzing with life. The Kodak site is linked to existing waterways in Headstone Manor Park extending the threatened water voles range in North West London. More open green space enables room for much in demand allotments reducing Harrows carbon foot print.

Adding Value

A recent study in Britain discovered that the most expensive properties in any given area were in close proximity to golf courses. A further analysis of the study concluded that it was not the desirability of golf to wealthy home buyers but the aesthetic value given to homes built in a naturalistic setting, especially with good transport links to city centres. In response to this Harrow must capitalise on the Kodak sites potential to raise property capital in the Borough by creating scenic, ecological, sustainable development.

One of the most important things in any vegetable garden is getting your soil right. Recent research has shown that annual ploughing and digging can disturb the microorganisms within the soil. Turning over the soil will help new vegetable plots to become aerated and relieve any compaction. Here I have turned the soil once, built basic raised beds with fencing gravel boards and filled to the top with nitrogen rich compost. This is the first stage of the Ecospaces Urban farm I am looking forward to a productive season.