RHS students design and build community garden

As part of the Level 3 and 4 RHS Diploma in Horticulture Practice, students based at RHS Garden Wisley have designed and built a new community food growing and wellbeing garden at ShopWise, a food club in Sheerwater, Surrey. The garden was officially opened at a celebratory event for the community.

The Generous Garden

Felicity Gray’s, ‘The Generous Garden’ was chosen as the winning design by members of the community including ShopWise staff, customers and trustees who will be using the garden. Felicity says:

“I focused on what the residents were asking of the garden. There will be many different local groups making use of the space, each with different requirements, and in this way the garden would need to be ‘generous’ in its provision. From there I ran with the idea of ‘generosity’ and how I wanted this to look and feel within the design.”

Felicity worked with course tutor and landscape architect, David Wallbridge, to plan the build, order plants and, with her fellow students, put in the key hard landscaping elements of the garden using knowledge and practical skills gained on the Diploma.

It was all hands on deck during the final week of June when Felicity’s design was brought to life as students worked together with the RHS community outreach team, to build the new community food growing and wellbeing garden.

Key features of the garden include allotment-style beds, surrounded by fruit trees and soft fruit bushes to enable the community to grow their own produce. There is also a central gazebo providing shelter, surrounded by scented herbs attractive to both pollinators and people.

There is a strong focus on fragrant florals through flowering evergreen shrubs such as Sarcococca confusa AGM, Choisya ternata and Skimmia japonica, as well as climbers including jasmine and rambling roses.

The garden is split into two halves: one will focus mostly on ornamental growing, a place to relax and feel at peace, while the other side will focus on growing edibles – an opportunity to learn new skills and grow-your-own.

Felicity’s design also reuses some of the features already at the site, including existing planters, that have been painted dusty pink and wooden benches refreshed in cornflower blue.

On the final morning of the build week, locals came to the garden to help with planting. Volunteers, RHS staff and other community partner organisations also lent a hand to transform the site into a colourful, welcoming space.

Felicity Gray says:

“I’m really pleased with how the garden has turned out. It’s been a great team effort with many people helping. It’s quite surreal to see a drawing turn into reality.”

When all the final touches were made, Councillor Amanda Boote, Deputy Mayor of Woking, cut the ribbon and declared the new community garden officially open. A celebration with cake and refreshments followed with an opportunity for local residents to explore the garden for the first time.

One ShopWise customer said: “The garden will make a huge difference in the community and is pleasing to the eye. I like how we will be able to grow and pick our own food.” Another customer added that the garden “will soothe the soul.”

Shabnam Sambani, RHS Community Outreach volunteer, who is passionate about gardening says:

“There’s nothing we like better than cooking and eating. Now we can add growing. I’m eyeing up a bed for some radishes.”

Supported by the RHS community outreach team, ShopWise customers will take the lead in gardening in the new space. Regular gardening sessions will run to develop a team of volunteers to care for the garden and grow food for the community as well as taking the time to connect with each other.

Volunteers have already taken part in a seed swap as part of RHS Grow With It, an annual programme designed to give year-round growing support, and are growing herbs, Swiss chard and strawberries. Workshops on vegetable growing, cooking, fruit tree pruning and seed collection are also planned.

Julie Jowett, RHS Senior Community Outreach Advisor, says:

“We hope this community garden will be a place where ShopWise customers and local people can grow together and share harvests in a beautiful space.”

Long-lasting community change

The specially trained RHS community outreach team works with community groups and schools to build their skills and inspire long-lasting community change. To learn more, visit our community outreach pages or contact our Senior Community Outreach Advisor Julie Jowett at juliejowett@rhs.org.uk.

To find out more about work-based training programmes delivered at all five RHS Gardens including the Level 3 and 4 Diploma in Horticulture Practice visit our work-based training pages or contact schoolofhorticulture@rhs.org.uk.