How can we do it?
The approach that will be certain to fail is to engage a contractor for the job. $30,000, a suggested estimate from one landscape gardener, will be certain to get the thumbs down from our "authorities", so we will do it with in-house capabilities. Our Owners Committee once spoke of "sub-committees" so here's our chance. Read Paying for the extras for a look at the options.
We start with a 30M x 90cm roll of 100mm x 100mm mesh. ($109 at Bunnings). Take a 13M length and roll it crosswise into a cylinder about 25cm diameter and fasten securely with wire clips. The 25cm diameter will allow an overlap of one 100mm square. This is a key part of our hanging garden.
An alternative to explore are the plants growing up chains on the north face of the "Commons" apartment building, near Anstey station.
Picture this cylinder hanging vertically from a position a little above the balustrade on L4 to the top of the earth in our planter.
Now imagine it it covered with assorted plants growing from the planter upwards to L4. Professional plant advice says it is very feasible and there is a good choice of plants.
Who's going to do it?
You will have noticed "in-house capabilities" mentioned, and that's how it can be achieved. The only areas where specific professional knowledge is needed are:
- Confirm that the structure at Level 4 can take an added load of 200Kg. (This should be a formality since the structures must be designed to carry many fat people at a single entrance.)
- If required provide Council approvable drawings of the structure from which the plants will hang.
For the first item we need an engineer to put their hand up. The job may simply be an examination of the decking drawings and verifying the likely weight of the mesh tube and the plants.
The drawings already exist for the L4 tube attachment, but will need some "professionalisation". Hands up please.
