Raglan, a Wyevale Garden Centre, has seen the culmination of its garden makeover initiative at Raglan VC Primary School. As a result of hundreds of votes cast by locals within the Monmouthshire community in July, the primary school was selected as the worthy winner of a garden makeover within their school grounds.
The primary objective of the makeover was to make the garden more than just a beautiful area to play in, but also one that fosters learning and interaction with the children. By incorporating features such as a wildlife meadow and a bespoke bee hotel for solitary, non-stinging bees, the garden is set to become a haven for wildlife.
A hibernaculum has been built for the garden using recycled materials that will become a much needed winter home for little critters. The addition of five sensory beds to the school’s Noddfa garden will encourage children to experience nature with all of their senses. The team also incorporated some miniature fruit trees into the garden, ensuring that every feature allows the children to observe and interact with natural processes as the garden matures.
Lorraine Walters, Garden Centre Manager at Raglan said, “It’s been great to be involved in a project that gives something back to the community – on behalf of the community. We are proud to have been involved in a project that has brought these different groups together to share their expertise and create a beautiful new garden for the primary school. It was such a delight to have the children involved on the day and we look forward to seeing how the garden grows!”
The makeover truly was a community initiative from conception to conclusion, beginning with the local garden centre customers who voted for the school to win the garden makeover. This thoughtful garden was then designed by Chris Carpenter, founder and owner of CC Garden Designs, who has provided over 15 years of expert landscaping service to the Monmouthshire area.
On the day, it was a special team of six volunteers from Raglan Garden Centre, overseen by Raglan garden maintenance specialist Karl Davies, who, with the help of his team and the school children, transformed this outdoor space into an area now full of vibrant colour and wildlife to be enjoyed for years to come.
Jeremy Piper, Headteacher at Raglan VC Primary School, says: “I’d like to say on behalf of all children, parents and staff at the school that we have been delighted to be involved in this process, and were honoured to have been voted to win this garden makeover by our local community. The generosity of Raglan garden centre has allowed us to use the children’s ideas to create a new multi-sensory, prayer garden to reflect our school ethos and our Noddfa Courtyard area. It was fantastic to be involved in this project at each step, and we can’t wait to see what the space will look like come September!”
