THOUSANDS of herbs have been planted by volunteers and horticultural apprentices, to create a 50-metre long herb garden near the Boathouse in Wisbech.
The plants - including favourites rosemary, thyme, parsley and chives- were all donated by Delamore Young Plants, and will be available for residents to pick for their own use.
Volunteers from the town’s In Bloom and Street Pride groups spent a whole day with apprentices from Delamore creating the new garden on former waste ground.
The joint project is the result of discussions between Councillor Alan Melton, leader of Fenland District Council, and Wayne Eady, Delamore’s managing director. They also led to the In Bloom and Street Pride volunteers getting involved.
Cllr Melton said: “I’m so excited by this project. It brings together many of our council priorities – the development of the Nene Waterfront, which is vital for regeneration of Wisbech and for the success of the Wisbech 2020 Vision; the encouragement of skills development and apprenticeships; and the vital contribution made by all our many volunteers. It’s great to see it come to fruition.”
The garden was designed by apprentice Perry Smithson. The area will be closely monitored by CCTV to deter any vandalism or antisocial behaviour.
Wayne Eady said: “We’re delighted to have linked up with FDC, Wisbech In Bloom and Street Pride help tidy up this piece of waste ground. It has provided our apprentices with the opportunity to improve both their design work and their practical landscaping skills, as well as making the Boathouse a nicer area to visit.”
Penny Stocks, secretary of Wisbech in Bloom, said: “This is a great idea. We’re representing the Anglia region in this year’s Britain in Bloom competition with the theme ‘Edible Britain’, and this project should definitely strengthen our entry.
“We’re also particularly pleased to have worked with Delamore’s apprentices – although we work with many schools, young people in this age group haven’t been involved with In Bloom before, so it was really good to do something like this together.”
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