Maindee Unlimited: Greening Maindee Gateway Garden

The garden is co-created with the community-led charity Maindee Unlimited and their volunteer gardening team Greening Maindee, who aim to transform underused spaces into greener safer and attractive areas for people and wildlife.

A striking trompe l’oeil (‘to deceive the eye’) mural wall created by local artist Andy O’Rourke provides an engaging and colourful backdrop to the garden and runs along a main path, which is enveloped and softened by planting. Additional pathways draw visitors through trees and resilient, naturalistic planting into a central area featuring curved bespoke gabion seating and planters.

The garden draws attention to how the most unlikely of spaces can be revitalised into greener, more welcoming spaces through community initiatives.

At a glance:

Who is this garden for? 
A gateway garden and public space for the residents of Maindee​.
Where is the garden set?  
On the junction of Wharf Rd and Chepstow Rd, Maindee, Newport.
Who or what is the design inspiration?
The shape of the design is inspired by two of Maindee’s iconic art deco buildings – the former swimming pool and cinema. The mural in the garden links to other colourful murals across the district and is part of the Full Colour Maindee initiative to work with artists to improve the local environment. The planting approach is inspired by larger public projects by Nigel Dunnett.

Garden Legacy:

This garden will transform a prominent neglected and unloved site at a major arterial route and road junction into a beautiful gateway garden for the neighbourhood centre of Maindee, Newport.