Carolyn Morton: Gatehouse Garden

Variety: Gatehouse Garden
A practical and responsive approach will help
to establish this variety, producing chance
encounters, conversations and new directions
for growth.

Growing Advice
Location:
Around the remains of the gatehouse to Galton
Manor, towards the wooded nature trail.
This creates the ideal location to contrast the
individual and the industrial; the scale of
human endeavor that created the Galton
Valley (the world’s largest earthworks at the
time) and the domestic scale of the gatehouse
planting. Reclaiming the dwelling for
communities in the locality.

Sow:
Prepare the ground mid February – end of
March 2004. Identify and involve gardeners
and environmentalists for plant and design
advice. Gather people together as a team of
planters to generate new connections across the community of interested parties. Nurture and
encourage any signs of new growth with tea and refreshments.
Sow during April 3rd & 4th, 10 – 4pm. Using native species, plant in such a way as to highlight the
history of the site, to diversify and replenish habitats and to ensure the greatest chance of plants
establishing.

Harvest:
Visit regularly to ensure the greatest possibility of plants thriving and to enjoy the fruits of your labour.
Care and consideration needs to be taken when harvesting so that all can enjoy.

Carolyn works within people’s everyday experiences,conversations and social space. She describes her practice as “a mechanism that, on the most basic level, allows me to meet and make relationships with others”.
She is currently working with Yemeni women in West Bromwich to create a Yemeni cookbook; young people in Stechford, Birmingham to design a youth shelter for their local park; pupils at Holly Lodge School to reinvigorate their environment; and Glebefields Primary School to design the interior of a new extension.

Text taken from Beyond the Cut event catalog April 2004

Photos:
1( top):Gatehouse Garden composite: Carolyn Morton
2: Participants digging and planting during the event weekend. Photo: Cath Tarbuck
3: Home spelt in flowers, part of the Welcome Home that was planted in part of the garden to symbol the return some original soil taken to make the New Mainline Canal.
Photo: Cath Tarbuck
4: Carolyn and a participant planting part of the garden. Photo: Cath Tarbuck