The Gloucester Allotment Garden Association manages two gardens near Blackburn Hamlet:
 |
|
 Orient Park site accessed via Orient Park Drive
|
 Anderson Road site accessed via Weir Road at roundabout intersection of Anderson and Renaud
|
| The Orient Park gardens are situated in Blackburn Hamlet beside the Innes Road Bypass. It contains 317 garden plots spread across three football field areas each connected to municipal water. This means hoses and sprinklers may be used and crops with high water needs may be grown. | The Anderson site is more remote and better suited to gardeners interested in a natural setting. The gardens are gated and fenced to prevent wildlife theft. There are 68 plots. The soil is sandy. The gardens are not connected to the municipal water supply. Water must be trucked in at a cost to the Association. Water usage is controlled by Smart Cards which are issued to each gardener. The cards are programmed with a pre-allocated quota of water based on the size and number of the gardens each gardener has. If a gardener uses up their quota, they may have an opportunity to buy more water. Use of hoses and watering wands is permitted but sprinklers are not allowed. The combination of sandy soil and limited water makes Anderson most suitable for growing drought-tolerant, deeply rooted, and locally adapted crops. Growing crops with high water needs may result in the need to purchase more water than allocated. |
