The Garden

Barrowden Shop Garden is a lovely oasis to sit in and enjoy coffee, cakes, and a snack after shopping in our Community Shop. Whilst we have a dedicated team of garden gnomes willing to plant dig etc. we need volunteers to help with weeding so that the garden looks great at all times.

“I feel that I am doing something for the whole Community” Krys Witts

We have a grant from the Shop to pay for new plants if required and new fencing will soon be put in place.

We hope that by the middle of this summer all planting will be finished and only maintenance work will be required.

We have a super team of people helping to keep the garden looking beautiful, co-ordinated by Irene David, including David Scott, David Clayton, Les Wilkinson, Krys Witts, Rosamund Cotton and Peter Voler.  

Get involved

Thanks to the kindness of the many volunteers. Remember! The shop and other parts will only be open for the times for which we have volunteers. Many have kindly said that they are willing to help, and a few have signed up for a particular time slot. Between them they co-ordinate the rota. They will tell you all you need to know if you are interested in helping, please contact David Lewis (Shop Manager).

This is what we said of Autumn 2009

Meanwhile there was further action to the right between the fence and the pathway. Stones and weeds were cleared and smaller plants set along the slope. At the top of the slope on the level of the Burghley field the accumulation of grass and weed was removed leaving space for the planting of a line of shrubs which should grow into a pleasant hedge. Andrew Clayton and helpers, including dad David, set about fixing a sturdy handrail for those who would value a help up or down the slope to Wakerley Road. Our thanks to many diggers and planters along this stretch, and by the side of the shop itself and round the corner along the back of the Shop, facing the Surgery. There is still space for a number more plants along this long  border and around the shop itself. Many have been generously given, and willingly planted already, but it is a big area! Are there spares available from your Autumn tidying up? Could that big clump be divided into two? Do you really want still more of those?

Contact Alison Dancy or Sheila Saunders or simply bring them one day and either plant them yourself wherever makes sense, or leave them there and someone will find them a home. Thank you. Outside the shop there was much activity in the Autumn. Sue Moffitt, our Designer, asked for help in the basic shaping of the area to the left of the Shop as you come down the slope from Wakerley Road. This was readily provided by many strong hands one Saturday morning and soon even the least imaginative of us could see how it might evolve. Another Saturday, and another good response, this time including a number of boys and girls, soon got the hang of clearing weeds and stones. The youngsters thought it was great fun, and the adults were delighted by the overall progress. Then Sue and her gardeningstrong man, Alan Harvey , got to work on the final shaping with plants, steps, poles and then turf. The final result should look every bit as stunning as the earlier drawings suggested, if not more so.