A keen gardener is getting her hands dirty for a local charity by turning an overgrown rubbish tip into a beautiful sensory garden.
Sophie Coulton, 25, of North Swindon, is hoping to provide children and staff at Eldene Nursery and Primary School with somewhere to relax, unwind and explore. The school, based at Colingsmead, is a registered charity that teaches children with disabilities, and not having the funds to transform their garden themselves, Sophie kindly stepped in and volunteered.
Construction is set to start on Monday and Sophie will have a small troupe of green-fingered helpers to keep her company.
Sophie, who currently works at Homebase at the Greenbridge retail park while undertaking an online gardening design degree, said: “Garden design is my passion so I’m really excited about the project. When I first went to see the plot of land, I couldn’t actually get in because it was so overgrown and full of rubbish. They wanted something sensory with nice smells and colours, so I went away and came up with a few ideas – it’s now all about me cracking on and getting stuck in.”
She said that garden designer Adam Frost, who won a gold medal at the 2014 RHS Chelsea Flower Show, has been her inspiration, mentor and the reason why she discovered a passion for garden design.
Nicola Timbrell, assistant manager at the school, and who is currently on maternity leave, said: “We have been trying really hard to get our garden together for the past five years. We’re very grateful for Sophie’s help because we’re a charity and we don’t have the money to do things like this ourselves. She has worked really hard and we’re very excited about seeing the finished result.”
The garden is being funded by donations from local businesses such as BandB Innovations, Perry Mini Digger Hire, Swindon Car and Van rental, and others, with most of the materials having been donated by Homebase.
Sophie used to be the deputy manager at Homebase, but recently stood down to give her more time to focus on her degree.
The plot of land measures 18m x 10m and Sophie is hoping for it to be completed in a week.
She said: “I have gone through four different designs before choosing the final one, but I’m happy with it. There will be artificial grass, a water feature and lots of plants to give it plenty of colour. Everyone at the school is really excited. I have shown them a few ideas and they’re all really happy.”
There will be a grand unveiling when the garden is complete.
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