Sensory Garden Works

Landscaping contractors have very nearly completed their first phase of works in the Sensory Garden. They were laying the new paths earlier this week and have seeded the new meadow area just in time for this week’s rainfall it seems. Although this work is almost finished it won’t look like the finished product immediately as the grass seed needs to take and the incoming planting will need to bed-in, we’d really appreciate it if you could reinforce the message with park users of just a little more patience while the garden establishes itself.

Volunteer Planting

One of the final pieces of work to be complete in the Sensory Garden is to put in the 2,500 new plants which will form the centrepiece and offer the eponymous colour and fragrance. We will very shortly launch a sign up for volunteers to participate in the creation of these new formal planting beds across the end of Ashford’s Green Week at the end of the month.

Wetland

As the Sensory Garden is now almost complete, you will have undoubtedly seen that the landscapers have moved on to their next phase of works in what was once the woodland play area and is now being recreated as the park’s new Wetland. This work is programmed to be complete later this autumn, hopefully before the rainfall really begins in earnest. If you do have the chance to walk past you can now see the shape of the new lake emerging from the land as the excavators begin their work.

Temporary Toilets

At the end of September, these temporary toilets in the car park will be removed. These were intended to provide a facility for the higher number of visitors Victoria Park attracts during the summer but are an additional cost which unfortunately can’t be sustained for the duration of the project. In the meantime we will be encouraging park users to make use of the town’s Community Toilet Scheme, but we hope that the knowledge that the old, unpleasant toilets are being replaced and can be seen being done so will temper any frustrations.

Small Grant Bids

As the project has progressed it has attracted lots of other good ideas for how Victoria Park could be improved even further. Unfortunately the project budget is already completely assigned for works and activities in the park, but we are happy to collaborate with any local people or groups if they wish to apply for grant funding from elsewhere for small projects around the park; we’re working with the Conservation Volunteers to find a way to reinstate the wildlife pond and may shortly be looking for partners work with to secure funding for a drinking fountain and outdoors exercise equipment. If you or anyone you know might be interested in partnering up to make a smaller project happen, please get in touch.

Willow Sculptures

Former Kew Garden’s artist, Julia Clarke, will be unveiling a limited number of willow sculptures in Watercress Fields this week before then hosting a series of workshops later in the year.