I recently had the pleasure of designing a pocket park/community garden for a local community group. This was our inaugural project and thanks to the amazing project management of the committee, the clearance, build and planting went without a hitch.

The brief was to improve a small 6x8 metre triangle of unloved Network Rail owned ground outside the train station at Westcliff on Sea, Essex. The area experiences a high footfall, therefore needed to be simple, look good all year round and easy to maintain.

We had 4 days over 2 weekends to complete all the work, this was easily achieved due to wonderful support from local residents, all armed with spades, gloves and cups of tea. Local businesses supported with discounted materials, including Southend Parks Department who supplied, for free, pretty much all the high quality plants used (I sense the beginning of a beautiful relationship!)

The comments since it’s completion have been nothing but positive, every time I pass by I cannot contain the huge grin that spreads over my face, knowing that I had a part in creating something so lovely and beneficial. It reinforces my mantra that ‘everyone deserves a beautiful garden’ or more aptly ‘everyone deserves access to a beautiful garden’.

Due to the resounding success of this project, we now have several more projects in the pipeline, so watch this space…

https://www.instagram.com/grassrootswestcliff/

Plants used include: Verbena bonariensis, Hylotelephium, Euphorbia characias, Agapanthus, Stipa tenuissima Pony Tails, Anemanthele lessoniana, Lavandula, Salvia ‘Hotlips’, (Crataegus monogyna and Rosa canine - bare root - due to be planted in November)