History: Creating The Garden
Designing the Garden
Our Initial Sketch of the garden design by our Garden Designer Lara Hall was based on our ideas combined with the community’s suggestions and comments. It was paid for with £500 of lottery funding.
We consulted local residents on the proposed design and received £50,000 in further lottery funding to pay for building the garden.
Construction and hard landscaping work on the garden took place in late 2010 and was completed in January 2011.
Planting the Garden
Six group members, led by Jeremy Bartlett, formed a 'Planting Sub-committee' to decide what to plant. Planting took place in spring 2011 and the garden opened to the public on Saturday 2nd July 2011.
The garden contains a large number of edible plants - fruit trees and bushes, herbs (over 30 varieties), vegetables and plants with edible flowers, such as French marigolds (Calendula) and day lilies (Hemerocallis).
We have a small apple orchard, fan-trained cherries, a fig, a plum, an apricot, raspberries and blackberries. More unusual fruit includes quince and medlar trees, honeyberries Japanese wineberries and alpine strawberries. In February 2013 we added four plum trees as a 'Golding Place Mini-orchard' just outside the garden. Full list of fruit trees and their sponsors.
We retained the original four ash trees and these provide welcome shade in summer. In the shadier areas we planted woodland wildflowers such as primroses, snowdrops and bluebells. Underneath the apple trees is a small meadow area with an interesting mix of wild flowers.
There are several seats and a lawn area where visitors can relax and enjoy the garden.
We also have plenty of ornamental shrubs and flowers to make the garden attractive to people and wildlife alike. List of wildlife seen in the garden. Visitors' Comments about the garden.
The original list of plants numbered over two hundred species. Partial replanting took place in October 2015.
Download a self-guided tour of the garden
Raised Beds
We have nine deep beds, with access for wheelchair users. These are being rented to members of the local community for growing vegetables.
Railings and Gates
Our railings and gates were constructed and installed by Rackham Engineering in November 2010. £9,400 of RESPECT funding was given to us to pay for these. The funding was provided to Norwich City Council by the Department of Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) in recognition of Norwich's work to tackle Antisocial Behaviour as a RESPECT Action Area.
Rainwater collection and storage
We are collecting rainwater to water the garden from the roof of 12 Valentine Street and the roofs of the St Benedict’s View business units.
Feeding the soil
We are making compost using garden waste from the garden. Three of our members have been on a Master Composters' Course to learn the best ways to do this.
