A NEW David Austin rose garden at Trowbridge's unique Palmer Gardens is providing double flower power for the community.
Wiltshire College Lackham, is using the project to bring lessons to life for horticultural students and their creation will add to the public attractions at national charity Shaw Trust's Islington-based
"We very much want to further enhance the established gardens, which are open for the public to enjoy. Having already added a national Anemone collection, we were missing the nation's favourite - the rose," said Palmer Gardens Manager Mark Bradbury.
"David Austin is a name that everyone who loves roses will be familiar with, not least for the gold medal displays at the annual Chelsea Flower Show. I am very pleased that David Austin have supported us, and we of course sell their roses too.
"The fact that the College students can use the creation as part of their training is a wonderful bonus, especially as our ethos is to provide training to help people move towards employment. It's great to have them on site and we are very grateful for their hard work on our behalf."
Palmer Gardens Horticultural Supervisor Rob Bayley, who is also a student studying for his horticultural diploma at Wiltshire College Lackham, in Lacock, has been key in liaising with Carl Gill, their Head of Horticulture.
"Rob knew that I am always looking for 'live' projects outside of the college to give students practical experience and told me about the plans for the rose garden," explains Carl Gill, the College's Head of Division for Horticulture.
"This sort of real-life experience is invaluable and brings lessons to life. Students have been using the tools and techniques they have been learning about to design the garden, lift the turf, prepare the beds and plant the colourful mix of shrub and climbing roses.
"Most of the students know the centre and we are all delighted to be helping to develop and grow
Carl split his students, who are studying for a range of qualifications, into two work groups, the first of which spent a day at
The spring planting of the rose garden will be completed this month and will start looking its best when the flowers start blooming in earnest in June. More work will be done in the autumn.
The rose garden will add to the other attractions, which include a specimen of the ancient dinosaur tree, the Wollemi Pine. There are also plans to establish a nature trail at
* Our picture, supplied by Wiltshire College Lackham, shows (from left to right) Head of Division for Horticulture Carl Gill, with students Tim Bailey, Joanne Millard, Jan Partridge, Sean Liddiard, Ollie Ryan-Moore, Andrew McDougall, Sally Stanes, Steven Brander and Philip Palmer.
NOTES TO EDITORS
1. For further details, please contact Marketing Communications Manager Tony Noble on 07971 794404 or you can email: crucialpr@shaw-trust.org.uk
2. Shaw Trust is a national charity, celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, which helps people with disability or disadvantage to find work and achieve independence. We do this not only by delivering government programmes, but also through our own self-funded initiatives, and by campaigning to change attitudes at all levels.
3. Across the
