On Sunday 25th January, the Mayor of Knighton, Chris Branford, joined a team of volunteers at Knighton Community Centre to plant a rowan tree which will join a variety of other trees and shrubs in the new the new Wildlfe and Sensory Garden.
The garden will soon spring to life as two thousand bulbs have been put in and wild-flower seeds will follow. “I think this is wonderful,” said the Mayor, “I can’t wait till it all comes out, all the daffodils and the bulbs.”
The Wildlife and Sensory Garden, funded with a grant from the Welsh government, is a very exciting initiative created for the whole community. Designed by Michelle Brinkhurst, it will have good access and raised beds that can be reached by those in wheelchairs. Planters, benches, a new shed, a greenhouse, a pergola are in preparation and the rowan tree will have a plaque to explain that the community garden is being built with a large grant from the Welsh government Local Places for Nature Fund.
Two commemorative benches that were put there 50 years ago will be restored. (Do please get in touch if you know more about these benches).
There is already a lot of interest in the garden and plans for a gardening club. The children’s science and nature group, with help from the Radnorshire Wildlife Trust, will use the garden from March. The Stay and Play group at the Comm will also use it.
People visiting the library at the Comm on Tuesdays or Thursdays will be able to look up and see the garden in flower, perhaps getting a coffee from the café to sit on a new bench and enjoy it more.
Some of the volunteer gardeners are looking forward to helping once the planting is all finished. The garden will become a lovely place for celebrations, and already four wedding receptions are booked in this summer.
Ceri Brown, Centre Manager at Knighton Comm, and Chris Martin from Stay & Play and the Comm Family Centre were involved in the original bid and are keen to see it finished. “We envisage this as a place that the community can come down, take a minute, gather thought and relax,” explained Ceri, “but if they want to dig in and get gardening and gain inspiration to grow their own they are more than welcome!”
If you would like to help in anyway, volunteerting in the garden, or helping young people learn the skills needed to grow their own vegetables and plants please visit out volunteer page and contact Steph at volunteerhubknighton@gmail.com
