A small band of dedicated volunteer gardeners have been
rewarded for their green-fingered efforts with a prestigious award from Britain
in Bloom.
The Cricklepit Garden Group has been working for four years
with the Devon Wildlife Trust. During this time eight regular volunteers have
transformed the grounds of Cricklepit Mill, the conservation charity's Exeter
headquarters which sits close to the city's busy historic Quayside.
Now the beauty and inventiveness of the volunteers has been
recognised. Their garden has scooped the highest level of accreditation -
'Outstanding' - in Britain in Bloom's 'It's Your Neighbourhood' awards 2016.
Judges enjoyed the garden's mix of sensory beds, small
ponds, a winter heath garden, bee and butterfly borders and a culinary herb bed.
The volunteer gardeners were praised by Britain in Bloom
assessors for a number of key areas:
- The garden's innovative use of "bird boxes, bat boxes, bird feeders and planting for pollinators throughout the year".
- Also highlighted was the volunteers' innovative use of "recycled materials and rainwater harvesting", along with the use of composted material from Devon Wildlife Trust's offices.
- Judges also praised the volunteers' willingness to share the garden with visitors through the staging of regular open days and tours.
George Barbour is the Cricklepit Garden Group's Head
Gardener and one of its founding members. George said:
"I'm delighted for all the team that our efforts have
been recognised. To win in the 'It's Your Neighbourhood' category is especially pleasing
because when we began our work four years ago we wanted it to be a place for local
people to come and enjoy wildlife in a peaceful garden setting."
Speaking for Devon Wildlife Trust, Steve Hussey said:
"We're delighted that our volunteer gardeners have been
rewarded for their hours of labour. Staff and visitors to Cricklepit Mill have benefited
from their work. The garden is now a beautiful place to be, it's full of
wildflowers and wildlife. It's a garden which reflects the ethos of our charity and the
history of this wonderful working watermill."
Cricklepit Mill and its garden can be found at Commercial
Road, Exeter, EX2 4RB, close to the Bishop Blaize pub and the city's Quay. Both are
open Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm. Entry is free.
Special milling days are held every month where visitors can
see Exeter's only working watermill grinding wheat into flour. The next
milling day will be held on Friday 11 November between 10am and 12noon.
The Cricklepit Garden Group can be found working in the
garden every Wednesday afternoon. Its volunteers are just one example of the 300
people who regularly volunteer for the charity across Devon. More details about
volunteering for Devon Wildlife Trust can be found at www.devonwildlifetrust.org
Members of the Cricklepit Mill Garden Group
celebrate their Britainin Bloom Award
Wildflowers in the Cricklepit Mill Garden, Exeter
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