Gardeners who got military assistance are among those up for a Camden in Bloom award
Neighbours declared war on weeds!
Published: 30th June, 2011
PROPERTY by DAN CARRIER
NEIGHBOURS who have each created an urban oasis are waiting to see if they can say they have planted the borough’s best communal garden.
Green-fingered residents have just had their creations inspected for this year’s Camden In Bloom competition.
Town Hall communications chief Steve Shawcross and I were judges for the Community Gardens section, and after whittling down 19 entries in to a shortlist of eight, we spent last Friday running the rule over their efforts.
The competition took us the length and breadth of the borough, discovering how neighbours, groups and estates had banded together to share gardening tips and enjoy the results of their splendid efforts.
The winners will be presented with an award on July 25 at a special event at the Town Hall – and after casting a careful eye over all of them, I can say choosing one to stand out was almost impossible.
Residents in Barn Close, Torriano Avenue, Kentish Town, converted land on their estate into a beautiful communal garden – with a little help from the military.
Tenant and gardener Carol Delaney explained how the garden was established in 2003 and how the raised beds, when seen from the balconies, spell out “T 2003”.
She said: “When we started it was a horrible bit of land to garden. It was full of bricks and rubbish.”
They tried to use a rotavator – but to no avail. Instead, help came from an unlikely source.
Ms Delaney said: “We got in touch with landscape charity Groundwork Camden and they enlisted soldiers to help clear it.”
A garden in Raglan Street, Kentish Town has become a favoured resting spot for teachers from the nearby St Patrick’s primary school – and for weary shoppers wanting some peace from the bustle of Kentish Town Road. Chartered surveyor Robert Livock, with the help of other volunteers, looks after it.
He said: “It used to be a real tip. It now gives people a lot of pleasure.”
The Pennethorne sheltered housing block on Albany Street is home to around 30 older people – and has a garden packed with flowers, trees and plenty of wildlife.
Resident Colin Payne has taken on the role of head gardener. He said: “The flower beds were swamped with ivy. I spoke to the original manager and they told me how it looked, so I set about reinstating it.”
A side-effect of his efforts includes residents meeting there – and a plethora of other visitors, such as a woodpeckers, woodpigeons, squirrels and a family of foxes.
Other shortlisted entries include the Great Croft Resource Centre in King’s Cross, gardens in Rhyl Street, Queen’s Crescent, Maryon Mews, in South End Green, Victorian flats on the corner of Finchley Road and Buckingham Avenue, and the Millman Street Centre in King’s Cross.