An enchanting garden originating in Cumbria, masterminded by a local horticultural luminary, has found fresh vitality and purpose within its hometown following its debut at a national exhibition.
Danny Poland, currently affiliated with Cumbria Wildlife Trust and acting on behalf of Cumbria in Bloom, conceived and brought to life the modest garden, which made its appearance at this year’s RHS Flower Show held at Tatton Park.
At the age of 21, Mr. Poland ingeniously reimagined components of his original design to transform a space nestled between a church and a primary school in his native village, Irthington.
He expressed his desire to offer the garden as a communal asset to the village community that stood steadfastly by him in recent years. The village garnered recognition within Cumbria in Bloom’s ‘Pride in Your Community’ contest of 2021 and earned the distinction of a Silver Gilt award last year as a Britain in Bloom finalist.
Irthington Village School, where Danny once attended as a student, wholeheartedly embraced the community initiative. They rallied their support by constructing a ‘walking with wildlife’ footpath and crafting ‘wildlife wishes’ to be suspended from a cornus tree.
As the new school term commences next month, the children will have the opportunity to witness their wishes adorning the village tree.
The community garden, christened ‘Gardening for Wildlife,’ presented at Tatton Park, saw every element utilized to its fullest.
Any features not repatriated to Irthington found new homes through generous gestures.
The ‘Bee&Bee’ post, now graces Cumbria Wildlife Trust’s wildflower nursery and garden at Houghton.
The meadow grass, wildflowers, pond, and slate found purpose anew through the hands of Imran Aslam from Northwest in Bloom, a driving force behind nature projects within Manchester’s mosques.
Danny, honored last year with the Young Persons Champion award from Britain in Bloom, shared, “The original Tatton Park garden spanned three-by-three meters and was meticulously designed to foster wildlife.”
“I hold the hope that it ignited a spark for people to enact even the slightest alterations in their own gardens, ultimately contributing to a substantial positive impact on wildlife,” he continued.
“We endeavored to recover as much of the garden from Tatton Park as conceivable, as my intention was to create a garden for our community—something for all to savor right here.”
“It’s truly gratifying to have the opportunity to share this marvel with everyone back home. This has not only breathed new life into the Tatton Park garden but also endowed it with an entirely new and purposeful existence,” he concluded.
