A new community garden has opened in Bianca Street, Bootle, replacing a derelict and unused space that was prone to fly tipping from those in the area.
The initiative was started by Taking Root, who work across Bootle and Liverpool, to reinvigorate rundown areas and turn them into community gardens for people to enjoy.
Christine Leung is the founder of Taking Root and said that the group does not want to intrude on those within the communities that they are helping, but to work with them and make a space that is going to benefit them.
“Before July of this year, it was just a big patch of overgrown shrubbery and rubbish. Litter got caught up in it and people fly tipped in it.
“It was very much unloved. We got some funding for a digger in early July, to come in and clear the place basically with a lot of community Garden Volunteers.”
She added: “We fundraised for some clearance, and this garden is from a flower show that we did in the summer at the RHS flower show in Tatton Park, it was our fourth year at the show gardens and we decided to bring back the major elements of that garden to hear in Bianca Street and replanted it for the community.”
Taking Root have various locations across Liverpool that they work with. One area at South park, Bootle, is much bigger and well more established then the location in Bianca Street, having been in place for many years.
The area is a place used to grow crops, to garden various flowers and as a community space for people to come. Volunteers of all ages work for Taking Root, helping to maintain and grow the garden
Christine said: “The passing public are very grateful for the work that we do, they really enjoy walking past it because (the location at Bianca Street) was a real eyesore.
“I think it was planted in a very low maintenance way and I like to think that we don’t have to come that often, probably once every six weeks to check on it and a couple of people locally litter pick, to help keep it nice and neat as this can still be a problem.
“There is a lot of dog fouling as well, so their are still issues that this area and others can experience, and that’s why we need people to look after it. But, overall I think the work that we do has been really well received.”
Taking Root have plans to continue working with unused spaces and sprucing them up. Having secured more funding, they hope that they can continue to work across Liverpool and improve local areas.
Featured image (c) Tom Watkins
