History of Cherrytree
Potted History2004
The Cherrytree Community Backgreen Association was set-up in November 2004.
2005
ECBA first met with the residents in 2005 to discuss the regeneration of the site. A series of participative design workshops were run to prepare an outline design for the site.
Originally, the site was separated into six backgreens. The railings which defined the backgreens were removed during Word War 2 leaving the site open. Rather than reinstate these boundaries, it was agreed to landscape the site with new spaces which open into each other. A large community green was created in the centre of the site with three smaller greens leading off. All of the facilities such as the Co-shed were to be installed in the community green.
The Cherrytree sites was one of the worst of the pilot sites identified in the survey of Gorgie Dalry. The site had become completely derelict excepting the green of (179 Dalry Road). There was old furniture and rubbish strewn across the site and hanging in the trees, it was impossible to access some backgreens due to chest high brambles.
Between June and October 2005, about a dozen residents volunteered their time during weekend workshops. A 'siege engine' was constructed to get the mounds of rubbish over the wall into a waiting truck. Brambles were strimmed and weeds hacked back, and by the end of the year the site was cleared.
2006
In the Spring of 2006 we returned to make a beginning on the new site layout.
The new greens were created by installing wooden rails to demarcate the lawns from the forest garden areas, which were lined with weed matting and a wood chip mulch. In October 2006 we planted 17 fruit trees (apple, pear and plum) and 45 fruit bushes (gooseberry, blackcurrant and redcurrant) into the forest garden.
2007
In April 2007, Cherrytree was the first community backgreen site to install a Co-shed, thanks to the hard work of Sam Ansell. The Co-shed houses the tools and equipment for the regeneration and maintenance of the site in one half, and the Rocket In-vessel composter for the community composting operation in the other half. This made Cherrytree the first site of its kind in Britain to have a Rocket In-vessel composter installed. The community composting operation started at Cherrytree at the end of April with a dozen starter packs given out to the residents who have volunteered around the site.
In May 2007, the residents dug in six small allotments alongside the community green which are now producing a wee crop. This together with the forest garden laid out around the site represents our commitment to growing local food and to provide positive opportunities for residents to work together in the backgreens.