In early summer 2019 the 45th Rossendale Scouts Group (Crawshawbooth) helped weed the paved area of the gardens as part of their Conservation Badge challenge. This inspired several local residents to help to maintain the gardens.
Not only are the fruits of last year’s labours appearing, work continues apace with new planting, a water barrel fed by the now clean gutters of the old toilets and regular weeding!
We’ve thinned out and cut back bushes, removed brambles, sapling trees and reduced overgrown cover plants such as geranium. We’ve planted perennials, for example, hydrangea, lavender, foxglove, cyclamen, rosemary, ornamental grasses and even ferns in the shadier rear beds. The central name plaque has been cleaned, rubbed down and painted and is being filled with alpines and sedum.
Our aim is to tidy up the area and encourage people to walk through or sit in the gardens. We plan to introduce flowers which will put a smile on the faces of those passing by whilst encouraging pollinating insects and the frogs and toads.