Stile Hall Gardens Volunteers Are Chiswick's Top 'Guerilla Gardeners'
Unofficial garden created in a neglected strip of land near Kew Bridge
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A long wide strip alongside the pavement and railway at the Kew Bridge end of Stile Hall Gardens which volunteers transformed into a garden with alliums, day lilies, geraniums, honesty, santolina, echinops, tulips and much more, gained the title of best Guerilla Garden in Chiswick.
The award was created by Abundance London two years ago for the person or group that had done most to improve or create an unofficial garden around the Chiswick area.
The Stile Hall Gardens area was planted to ensure a constant display of lush colour with plenty for passing people and insects to enjoy. Gardened by the community it was described "a very welcome oasis."
Rebecca Lane of the winning team on right (image - Anneli Friedhoff)
While the team was described as mostly "a few people popping by every now and again", there was one volunteer who was singled out by the group. Rebeccca Lane, known as Bex, was praised for her "time, vision, money and her infinite kindness, that has created the garden as it is." The award was announced at a reception at London Auctions (June 5th).
Volunteers from Deans Lane, with Sarah Cruz and Karen Liebreich of
Abundance on the right (image - Anneli Friedhoff)
Runners up were: Dead Donkey Alley, Deans Lane, between Herbert and Ernest Gardens and Dianne's Memorial Garden, Strand-on-the-Green. The winner received a prize of £150, and runners up £50 each, to spend as they feel fit for the project.
Karen Liebreich and Sarah Cruz of Abundance read out some of the comments that had been received which showed how much these little gardens mean, both to those involved in their creation and maintenance, and to passersby.
Herbert & Ernest Gardens/Deans Lane – aka Dead Donkey Lane is looked after by the local community. Abundance said they alleyway, which is planted up with a bright and diverse selection, has turned a potentially threatening narrow alleyway into a pleasant and friendly walk, and has also brought the community together.
Volunteer Charlotte commented: "Three years ago, I got in touch with Hounslow Highways to ask if my neighbours and myself could transform the weed infested alley between Herbert and Ernest Gardens. They agreed. Since then we weed, plant, prune and water the alley. The plants range from lavender to rosemary. The transformation has not gone unnoticed as fellow neighbours/locals are delighted. Only a few plants have been vandalised and some rubbish is dropped occasionally, which is a result!"
Volunteer Joy said; "It has been a very worthwhile project that has involved neighbours of all ages in many ways. Whenever anyone is working in the alley they will get positive comments from people passing by. It's now a pleasure to walk down there - not a worry as to what /who you might bump into. It's also a great way to meet other people in your neighbourhood that you might otherwise not, as well as improving our own environment. Many hands make light work - and it's always fun to get together. Especially when Su-Lin brings out a jug of cocktails at the end."
- Dianne’s memorial garden, Strand-on-the-Green. This small garden transformed a corner of the Strand-on-the-Green towpath in memory of a local lady Diane Fairman who died in 2012. DeNica, her daughter, commented : "The garden has brought us much comfort over the years in her absence, as it is somewhere we feel close to our mum and feel her presence sometimes watching over us. We get an amazing amount of positive and supportive feedback when we are tending the garden from locals & passers by who say that they enjoy the garden all year round. This really lifts our spirits. They often stop for a chat and have a story to tell about their loved ones, experiences or some general gardening tips! It has certainly brought people together as at one time there were so many people who were gathering there, sitting on the memorial bench, sharing time together, we dubbed the garden Mum’s Memorial Hub! "
A neighbour said : "We in Riverview Grove all miss Dianne very much (it's an extremely social street and she was one of its bigger characters), and we have always admired how her kids thought of establishing the garden and have continued to tend to it regularly in her memory."
This year’s nominations also included:
- Susan Hunt. Susan organises the gardeners at St Michael & All Angels, who together keep the wide herbaceous borders alongside the church and the entry path looking beautiful and welcoming.
- Sutton Court Road: The planted tree pits at the railway corner. Planting includes bedding plants, small bushes and yuccas.
- Outsider Tart (below ) This was transformed by the local cafe owners with suitable planting suggested by garden designer Christine Wilkie
“Guerrilla gardening” includes tree pits, small dilapidated areas, and also gardens where the local community has asked permission from the council or landowner and taken responsibility to create something of worth – beautiful and biodiverse, that could create pleasure for passersby and maybe a tiny habitat for wildlife.
Abundance London also thanked its own volunteer teams who create and - even more importantly! - maintain the various sites around Chiswick, including the Library, the Town Hall, the Eyeful Triangle on Heathfield Terrace, the High Road beds, the herbal knot garden (with Turnham Green Friends).
June 6, 2018
