Chelsea Flower Show garden opens on Hull estate

Sarah Weichardt smiles directly at the camera. She has mousey blonde hair that is just past her ears. She wears a green blouse and is pictured in front of a wooden shed with circular metal holes patterned with bird designs on. There is lush greenery behind her, and a variety of plants are growing wildly throughout. You can see a glimpse of a green metal fence to her right, with houses and a field behind this.

Sarah Weichardt says the community garden has a new home at the Alf Marshall Centre

Charlie O'Loughlin
BBC News
Reporting from
Hull

An award-winning garden from the RHS Chelsea Flower Show will officially open at its new home in Hull later.

The Songbird Survival Garden has been relocated to the Alf Marshall Community Centre on Goodhart Road, Bransholme after winning a silver gilt medal at the prestigious show.

Almost two years on since the initial bid for the garden, it is hoped the space can become a place of peace and tranquillity for the local community.

Lucy Carew and Sarah Weichardt, joint chief executives of The Neighbourhood Network charity, said it was a "dream come true" to see the garden come to life.

A wooden shed structure with seven circular metal cut outs is seen in the forefront of the picture. The circles each have a differing bird motif on them. Surrounding the shed is a variety of greenery and flowers. A brown wooden bench is tucked behind the shed and there is a green fence with a field just to the right of this.

Nicola Oakey designed the garden to highlight the decline of the UK songbird

"We can't quite believe it if we're honest," said Ms Weichardt.

"It is such a beautiful space. We come into the garden and we look at it and we're like, oh my god, this is just amazing.

"There's nothing like this around here and we're just really excited to open the gates to the community."

The garden is part of a wider project at the site to overhaul the existing outdoor space for the local community, previously described by Ms Carew as a "concrete jungle".

Three sets of wooden tables and benches are seen spread out on a concrete patio space. The area is bland and sparse- with one wooden planter to the left of the image. The area is surrounded by a green metal fence, and two dark green water buts can be seen along the side.Neighbourhood Network

The charity hopes the garden will become a green space used by local residents

After appearing at the show in May, the garden was relocated plant-by-plant to Hull where it was reassembled in a space more than double what it had at Chelsea.

Designer Nicola Oakey hoped to highlight the plight of the UK songbird and help return the most at risk birds back into our gardens.

The garden was inspired by the movement and perspective of a bird, featuring paths winding though layers of bird-friendly plants, which are aimed at helping them feed, shelter and nest. There is a pond to provide water for bathing.

Lucy Carew with chin-length blonde hair smiles directly at the camera. She is wearing black and brown tortoiseshell print glasses and wears a black top with silver button detailing. Behind her is lush greenery, with a variety of different plants and flowers growing tall. There is a wooden shed with circular cut outs behind her left shoulder and a large tree to her right shoulder. The weather conditions look cloudy and overcast.

Lucy Carew says the project is a "dream come true"

The garden will host a further community day on Tuesday 22 June between 13:00 and 15:00 BST so local residents can "see what all the fuss is about", Ms Carew said.

"We've been busy planting and building things within the garden, but now we want to open the gates and let everyone enjoy it and get involved.

"We're looking for people to make this garden their own as well, to help plan and grow things and be a part of the story."

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