The plot thickens

It took a master gardener to design and create it but now the inspirational wildlife garden at Saltholme is being transformed by a band of volunteers.

More than two years after it was planted by celebrity gardener Chris Beardshaw, the garden at the wildlife reserve and discovery park near Stockton is cared for full-time by a team of up to five volunteers, who, with advice from a trained horticulturist who also volunteers, work tirelessly to keep the beds, borders and pond in tip-top condition.

The team tackles all the usual gardening jobs, from building plant troughs to weeding, from re-planting and pruning, to sowing and even selling plants they have raised at home.

Valda Walker, who lives near Yarm, is one of the. “The plants sales started as a one-off event but it proved so popular that we decided to carry on.

“With the money we raise, we buy even more plants to re-stock the garden and the vegetable beds – and the rest goes to support the work of the RSPB on the wider reserve.”

Developing the veggie plot is an even newer initiative than the flourishing wildlife garden. This year, the volunteers have grown cabbages, potatoes, herbs, spring onions and Swiss chard – the last a bit of a sore point with the volunteers, as it bolted before it could be picked.

Many of the vegetables and herbs find their way into the wildlife reserve’s cafe, much to the delight of visitors savouring the tasty produce on offer. Three or four times a week, Peter Langham travels from his home in Darlington to help out at Saltholme, not just in the garden but in other parts of the reserve.

Among this year’s particular successes in the garden are the sunflowers. “We really can grow sunflowers,” said Peter. “Just now, they are looking wonderful, jam-packed into an area of a couple of square metres – with a two-metre tall cotton thistle growing bang in the middle of them.” And the resourceful volunteers have also used some very special plants for the sunflower patch – from seeds sold in the visitor centre as bird food and planted in May by visitors at the reserve’s garden weekend.

The Saltholme wildlife garden is designed to demonstrate the progression of habitats from wetland to woodland.

The Saltholme garden is open every day until October 31 from 10am-5pm, and, from 10am-4pm during the winter. Admission is through the visitor centre.