The garden is already a space of tranquillity, tucked away from a busy world, but currently it lacks opportunities for sitting within the garden amongst the plants, spaces for quiet conversation and personal wellbeing. There are also opportunities to develop the planting scheme, creating more sensory experiences through the seasons. And the greenhouse – which we had envisaged to be a space for propagation – has never been finished.

With your support, we will be able to:

• Build and install furniture (made in our Timber Workshop) that is nestled into the planting, enabling quiet conversation and reflection throughout the year.

• Enhance the planting scheme, creating increased tranquillity and wellbeing through sensory experience

• Enable community propagation and plant sharing by completing our iconic greenhouse.

The garden is filled with thoughtful plant choices that respond to the climatic environment that varies across the green space. The front garden, for example, is sun-drenched in the summer and must withstand strong winds in the winter and occasional waterlogging after heavy rainfall. As the built and climatic environment continues to change around us, we need to make sure that the garden can adapt too.

Since initial planting, biodiversity has much improved. The soil is now home to many more worms, and the bugs, butterflies and birds are more abundant. There is more to do here though, and we want to further establish habitats for our local species in support of nature.

With your help, we will be able to:

• Create water features and ponds, creating new habitats for important species

• Improve rainwater collection, helping us to reduce mains water use

• Respond to changes in our built and climatic environment. With planned building works in the area, and continued challenges with climate change we need to ensure we can innovate.

Every week, a team of incredible Garden Volunteers come to help our Head Gardener with the garden’s maintenance. Our programme also regularly includes garden learning activities for families and adults. But the garden can do much more – we have the potential to use the space to deliver a more ambitious learning programme to inspire a new generation of garden makers.

Recently, we have also received a wonderful donation of botanical books that belonged to local resident Margot Godfrey. Drawing together our history as a library, the need for quiet space in the community, and an ambition for horticultural learning, we have the ambition to turn our Mulberry Room into a Botanical Research Library & Reflection Space. 

With your support, we will be able to:

• Design and deliver a Garden Learning Programme that will inspire a new generation of garden makers, from young people to young adults and beyond, in experimental horticulture

• Welcome and support more Garden Volunteers where learning and community are embedded into the experience

• Transform the Mulberry Room into a Botanical Research Library and Reflection Space.