Burgage Court garden blooming beautifully thanks to Riversmead’s Green Team!

(20th December 2011)

A secret garden at Riversmead’s older persons’ housing scheme Burgage Court in Ware has been recognised by the Royal Horticultural Society and Anglia in Bloom, as an establishing garden area.

Jan Wing, Organiser of Ware in Bloom presented Riversmead’s Senior Neighbourhood Officer, Heather Stanton and Burgage Court residents with the award to acknowledge the first phase of gardening works that have taken place.

The garden was transformed by Riversmead’s Green Team, a voluntary training scheme for 16-24 year olds run in partnership with Groundwork Hertfordshire, which helps young people develop skills in landscaping and garden maintenance.

During the 16-week programme, Green Team participants will work on projects to improve the environmental landscape around Riversmead’s neighbourhoods.

Burgage Court residents can now enjoy relaxing in their lovely secret garden, which looks out over the river Lea, after the nine Green Team trainees built a large rockery with reclaimed structure, a wooden pagoda and bench, and laid a new brick path leading up to the garden at the scheme.

Heather Stanton said: “We are delighted to have received this award and would like to thank Jan Wing for nominating Burgage Court’s secret garden and our Green Team for all their hard work – the results are fantastic. I hope the garden will provide much enjoyment for residents and I look forward to watching the garden grow and blossom further.”

Jan Wing said: “As part of Ware in Bloom it is not possible to recognise all the projects in the town, but I then discovered the Royal Horticultural Society’s ‘It’s Your Neighbourhood’ Awards to recognise this type of effort. The award is lovely as it recognises progress so everyone can take part. The Burgage Court secret garden is ideal as it will continue to be developed and improved and provide a lovely area for the residents to enjoy for many years.”

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