Topic 4 - Gardens People and Spaces

Question 1

Essential points that will make a visit successful pre-visit

Answer 1

Opening hours
Price
Accessibility
Facilities
Parking
Any highlights or events

Question 2

Essential points that will make a visit successful pre-visit - Directions and Parking

Answer 2

Sat Nav details
Any particular issues with driving and parking
Public Transport arrangements
Times gates are opened for arrivals

Question 3

Essential points that will make a visit successful pre-visit - ‘Arrivals experience’ and tickets

Answer 3

Clear signposting.
Enough parking
Sufficient booths for payment
Cash and card payment facilities
Well staffed
Pre booking arrangements
Maps and guides

Question 4

Visits to Historic gardens - Practical issues for accessibility

Answer 4

Avoid choke points
Path surfaces
Arrangements around steps and slopes for cripples
At least Width - 2.4 metres (turning circle 1.2m)

Question 5

Visits to Historic gardens - Directions and Signage

Answer 5

Enough to be helpful but not too much to distract the visitor and hide the sights
At right angles to the direction
“You are here”
Scale (length of walk)

Question 6

How do you address issues around visitor flow

Answer 6

Timed entrance tickets
Wider paths at key photo points
Routes around key choke point
“Events” at peak times away from the ‘must see’ sections

Question 7

Customer care facilities for a visit

Answer 7

Toilets (7 per 1000 women, 5 for men)
Seating
Bins
Staffing
Picnic areas
Buggy parks

Question 8

How do cafes and plant centres enhance a visitor experience

Answer 8

Plants inked to the location, specialist
Cafes pro long a visit, can be a source of revenue
Promote visits by friends meeting up

Question 9

What effect will visitors have on working gardens

Answer 9

Positive - Greater engagements with visitors, volunteering opportunities
Negative - Compaction, litter, disrupt staff from work
Can mitigate by having guided tours

Question 10

Positive impact of “events” in a garden

Answer 10

Additional revenue
Introduce new people to the gardens
Enables the garden to be used at a quieter time (Xmas fair)

Question 11

Negative impact of “events” in a garden

Answer 11

Requires an outlay of extra sign, staff and publicity
Over subscribed events can cause frustration for visitors and may distance them in the future

Question 12

What are the 5 steps of community engagement.

Answer 12

Information
Participation
Consultation
Collaboration
Empowerment

Question 13

5 Steps of community engagement - Information. What does it actually involve

Answer 13

Sharing information about a specific project or initiative to come to a common understanding. Everyone is informed and can take responsibility for a decision.

For example newsletters, social media, press reports

Question 14

5 Steps of community engagement - Participation. What does it actually involve

Answer 14

Building connected networks and relationships, ownership and trust through mutual involvement.

Question 15

5 Steps of community engagement - Consultation. What does it actually involve

Answer 15

Sharing thoughts and ideas. Feedback to improve knowledge or an understanding of objectives and expectations.

Question 16

5 Steps of community engagement - Collaboration. What does it actually involve

Answer 16

Partnering with the community to support action in each aspect of the decision, including the development of alternatives and identification of preferred solutions.

For example joint committees

Question 17

What role can “friends” play in opening up a garden to the wider community

Answer 17

Enthusiastic gardeners :
Support
Encourage
Engage
Organise seminars

Question 18

What role do volunteers play in the maintenance of a heritage garden

Answer 18

Gardening
Restoration
Education talks
Fund raising
Administration

Question 19

How can a heritage garden attract and keep volunteers

Answer 19

Volunteer fairs and open days
Compelling information
Recognition and appreciation
Meaningful work
Opportunities for development

Question 20

How can social media help create a community around a garden

Answer 20

Sharing information about events
Show casing volunteer involvement
Running contests and challenges

Question 21

How can gardens boost inclusion and diversity

Answer 21

Gardens can be a neutral environment for bring together groups
Actively promote inclusion by making special provision
Celebrate diversity

Question 22

Well being - Reduced morbidity - example to back up case

Answer 22

Green Space and health 2016 - Being physically active for 30 minutes a day can directly reduce the risk of of strokes cardiovascular disease, obesity, some cancers and type 2 diabetes.

Question 23

Well being - Psychological relaxation - example to back up case

Answer 23

“Gardening as a mental health intervention: a review” conducted by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) in collaboration with the University of Sheffield and the University of Westminster. This study, published in 2018

Question 24

Well being - Stress alleviation - example to back up case

Answer 24

Journal of Clinical Psychology in 2011

Question 25

Well being - Physical activity - example to back up case

Answer 25

King’s Fund titled “Gardens and health: Implications for policy and practice” published in 2016. This study provides evidence that gardening can be a valuable form of physical activity contributing to overall well-being.

Question 26

Well being - Noise and pollution reduction - example to back up case

Answer 26

“The Health Benefits of Environmental Improvements” conducted by Natural England, published in 2017

Question 27

What is Forest Bathing

Answer 27

A process of relaxation
Method of being calm and quiet amongst trees, using breathing
shinri yoku

Question 28

What is social prescribing

Answer 28

Helping patients to improve their health, wellbeing and social welfare by connecting them to community services which might be run by the council or a local charity. For example Park Run.

Question 29

List some of the different ways of collecting feedback from visitors to a heritage/public park

Answer 29

Direct questioning - staff did you have a good day
Leaflet
Emails
QR codes
Reading review sites
Surveys

Question 30

How would you collect feedback from staff volunteers

Answer 30

Anonymous or not
No more than 10 questions
Survey Monkey
Looking for trends or not

Question 31

What other stakeholders might need to give feedback on a community garden project

Answer 31

The local community
Sponsors
Volunteers

Question 32

How would you communicate to a stakeholder and the community that changes resulting from feedback are being implemented

Answer 32

Usng a “You said” “we listened” - Newsletter
Meetings / Notice board
Social media

Question 33

What is the role and purpose of Bench Marking

Answer 33

To enable similar organisations to share best practice and perr review each other.

Question 34

How much did Garden Tourism contribute to UK GDP in 2018

Answer 34

£2.9 Billion

Question 35

What are the health benefits of gardening

Answer 35

Vitamin D (Sun shine)
Muscles - back arms legs
Heart
Blood circulation
Blood pressure

Question 36

What are the benefits of urban green space initiatives

Answer 36

Manages noise and pollution
Air quality
Wildlife
Manages flooding

Question 37

The key contributions of horticulture to the Economic pillar of sustainability

Answer 37

Job creation
Local economic impact
Diversification and therefore Risk Management
Social enterprise

Question 38

The key contributions of horticulture to the Social pillar of sustainability

Answer 38

Provide work that can be inclusive
Preserve knowledge and practice
Community building (urban green spaces)
Promoting wellness
Promoting knowledge of ecosystems

Question 39

The key contributions of horticulture to the Environmental pillar of sustainability

Answer 39

Bio diversity conservation
Soil health and fertility
Water reduction and recycling
Improved air quality