Background
One benefit of working in irrigation are the fascinating schemes that we get involved in.
One such scheme was in Bristol’s Floating Harbour, where the docks had been dredged for seeds found amongst the discarded ballast from sailing ships 300 years ago. The seeds have been germinated and, with help from Bristol University’s Botanic Garden, identified. The diverse range of plants includes: Nigella Damascene from Southern Europe, Camelina Sative from Northern Europe and Central Asia, and Gilla Capitata from North America.
The Barge
The seeds have been planted on a disused grain barge, moored in a prominent position within Bristol’s Floating Harbour. The barge was originally due to be towed away for scrap, but was thoroughly refurbished and specifically designed to provide spaces for visitors to walk and rest whilst they observe the beautiful plants on display.
For more information, follow this link.
The Project
Access Irrigation were responsible for the design and supply of the complete irrigation system. The irrigation system consisted of highly efficient Permadrip-Pro dripline laid out over the beds on the barge. Permadrip-Pro is a brown coloured dripline designed for landscape irrigation with a 16mm pipe diameter and a wall thickness of 1.2mm. The 1.6 L/h drip emitters are pressure compensating, ensuring uniform output over a wide pressure range and include a built-in anti-siphon mechanism, to prevent dirt being sucked into the drippers at the end of the irrigation cycle. The emitters also have a large inlet filter and unique, continually self-cleaning design, giving excellent resistance to blockages. The dripline was secured using anchorage pegs and capped off at the end using stopends. Barbed fittings were used to connect the different dripline runs together.
The Result
Our project has resulted in a bright and attractive garden, which hosts flowers from all over the world. The garden has added much colour to Bristol’s Floating Harbour area and can be seen from the city park. We are delighted with the result and are proud to play our part in helping people experience both nature and history within a thriving city
