A garden designed and created in Cumbria by Danny Poland with Cumbria Wildlife Trust and on behalf of Cumbria in Bloom which was displayed at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park has found a new life and purpose back home in Cumbria.
The designer of the Tatton Park Show garden Danny Poland, 21 has repurposed elements of his design to enhance a space between the church and primary school in his home village of Irthington, near Carlisle, which is owned by the Parish Council.
Danny wants to share the garden with his community in Irthington, who have supported him over the last few years when the village found themselves entered into Cumbria in Bloom’s ‘Pride in Your Community’ competition 2021 and last year as a Britain in Bloom Finalist, receiving the Silver Gilt Award.
Irthington Village School where Danny was a former pupil, have provided unwavering support, throwing themselves behind the community effort, making a ‘Walking with Wildlife’ footpath and ‘wildlife Wishes’ to hang on a Cornus tree.
Now when the children return to school next month, they will be able to see their wishes on the tree in the village, alongside their stepping stones and shade loving plants that have been planted by Danny in the Parish Corner.
This is also where Danny grew flowers for pollinators for the village’s first year entry for Cumbria in Bloom. Now the corner has developed along with the village’s story as Britain in Bloom finalists and now Tatton Park.
The Cumbrian garden for Tatton was entitled, “Gardening For Wildlife”, designed and built by Danny and Cumbria Wildlife Trust, on behalf of Cumbria in Bloom.
There was no waste from the community garden at Tatton Park. Features which have not been brought back to Irthington have been gifted elsewhere. The ‘Bee&Bee’ post now stands in Cumbria Wildlife Trust Wildflower Nursery and Garden at Houghton, near Carlisle.
The meadow grass, wildflowers, pond and slate were donated to Imran Aslam from North West in Bloom, who works on nature projects for Mosques in Manchester.
Danny, who last year was awarded the Young Persons Champion Award from Britain in Bloom said: “The original Tatton Park garden was 3-by-3 metres, and was designed to to support wildlife. I hope it inspired people to make even small changes in their garden to support wildlife, this would make a significant difference.
“We brought as much back of the garden from Tatton Park as possible, as I designed the garden for our community, for everyone here to enjoy. It’s fantastic to have been able to share it with everyone once home, which has also given the garden from Tatton Park a new purpose and lease of life.”
Chair of Cumbria in Bloom, Ronnie Auld said: “We are delighted Danny has been able to reuse the Tatton Park garden to create something special for Ithington.
“Danny’s reuse of the garden is a great sustainable approach and we are delighted to have been able to support him in creating a Cumbria in Bloom garden for Tatton Park which now has a new life back in Cumbria.”
Danny is due to complete his Horticulture Level 3 qualification through Myerscough College next spring and works at Larch Cottage Nurseries near Penrith. The Cumbria in Bloom garden at RHS Tatton Park Flower Show was supported by Larch Cottage, The Pot Place Garden Centre and The Rebuild Site.
More information about Cumbria in Bloom is available at http://www.cumbria-in-bloom.org.uk/.
