Radstock residents are sowing the seeds to create a colourful new garden for the region’s pollinators.
Metro Mayor Dan Norris joined volunteers in rolling up their sleeves and armed with spades and trowels to start work on the new ‘Southfield Community Garden’ at the Recreation Ground.
The project to turn the disused former play area into a gorgeous community garden helping Radstock’s busy bugs has been made possible thanks to a £35,000-plus cash injection from the West of England Mayoral Authority, led by Mr Norris.
He said: “It is exciting to see this vital project come together. We are not just building Southfield Community Garden for us but for Radstock’s bees who make sure our crops are pollinated and we have delicious West of England produce to eat and drink year-round. In short - they’re bee-rilliant”.
Southfield Community Garden will throughout the year be bursting with colour with a wide variety of nectar and pollen-rich bee friendly flowering plants and shrubs including the English primrose, Yarrrow and Anemone. Over the next nine months, volunteers will help plant over 50 species of pollinator friendly plants across the 17,000 square metre site.
Radstock in Bloom and Radstock Town Council, who are leading the project, are also building a brand-new outdoor classroom’ for community groups to learn how to look after the region’s food heroes through bee-friendly actions like creating bee hotels in their own gardens, and even installing bug houses and bee bricks for the region’s pollinators to cool off.
Mr Norris in inviting people across the Radstock area to help plant this brand-new community garden for bees and residents over the coming months. He added: “My message to residents is - Radstock's pollinator pals need your assistance! I’m proud that my West of England Mayoral Authority is investing in projects supporting our region’s pollinators like this brand-new community garden at Southfields Recreation Ground - good news for Radstock locals, and even better news for its bees. But we cannot do this alone -help me plant Southfield Community Garden and together let’s make amazing Radstock an even better place for locals and pollinators alike to call home”.
Radstock Mayor Councillor Nick Toogood added: “We are delighted to have received funding to carry out this exciting project which will be of huge benefit to our local pollinators. Volunteers will be central to its success, and we encourage local residents, community groups, schools and partners to come along, enjoy some time outdoors and be part of supporting our very own bees and pollinators”.
Anyone in Radstock is welcome to get involved in the creation of the pollinator garden. For more information contact Diane Abbott at diane.abbott@radstock-tc.gov.uk
