Eight groups of volunteers from stations along the Mid Cheshire Line have worked together to create a Long Border for the RHS Show at Tatton. They have designed a railway-themed border using their gardening and engineering experience.
Mid Cheshire Community Sheds have built a miniature station fence. The Welsh Highland Railway and Ffestiniog Railway have given sections of rail and track. Grozone community garden at Northwich have given professional advice.
With the support of the Mid Cheshire Community Rail Partnership and Northern Rail, the volunteers have used their experience of gardening at stations to grow the plants to be at their best in time for the Show. They have grown plants from seed and searched out plant donations from volunteers and friends.
More specialised cuttings and small plants have been bought from local nurseries and then grown on by a network of local gardeners along the Line which runs from Chester through Delamere, Northwich and Knutsford to Altrincham, Stockport and Manchester.
Harry Allen, from the Friends of Plumley Station, who had led the project, says “We have achieved far more collectively than we thought possible when we first put in a bid to take part in the RHS Show. We have coped with everything that this summer’s weather has thrown at us and hope that the result will do justice to the help and advice we have received.”
He added “Contributions have come from up and down the Mid Cheshire Line. Elaine Skeffington from Hale has grown lots of plants. Jo Lavelle from ???has provided much help with the design, plant selection and horticultural advice. From ??? Fiona Wilson has created artwork for the bid and plant list”.
The Border has a railway theme – ‘Your Station – Gateway to a World of Journeys’. It draws on the themes of travel and music to take visitors on a rail-themed journey.
The design begins at a station fence and gate and then leads though a garden planted to reflect its themes to a section of track. The plants have been chosen to reflect rail travel to places far and wide, the art of music on the move and nature at work on stations and along the track.
Starting with 2-D monochrome planting depicting the world outside the railways, the traveller goes though the picket fencing to the colourful domain within. Worldwide rail travel is symbolised by Salvia ‘Lake Baikal’, Aster frikartii ‘Monch’ and Mexican fleabane. Music Trains on the Mid Cheshire Line are reflected in magical music wands and by drum-stick allium, saxifrage, bugle and bell flower.
The centrepiece railway trolley, by the Friends of Hale Station, is loaded with brightly coloured cannas representing distant lands and far-flung places – and that tricky souvenir which seemed like a good idea at the time until you tried to bring it home!
A ‘path’ of black millet and Verbena through the border leads towards the track and represents the train line meandering through the countryside. Next to the path are aromatic herbs, like the herbs which grow in abundance in many stations. The track is surrounded by nature’s volunteers – species which commonly self-seed along the railways like buddleia, borage and dead nettle.
The Royal Horticultural Society’s show at Tatton – 17-21 July
There is lots to see at the Show as well as the Long Borders. ‘Tatton plays host to an array of fabulous garden categories. The fabulous Show Gardens demonstrate the best in horticultural design, while the Feature gardens explore a theme. The Terrace Gardens offer practical take-home inspiration, and the Young Designer Gardens gives upcoming talent the chance to kick start their garden design careers’.
Tickets are available from the RHS website. Wednesday is members-only, Thursday to Sunday are open to all. Admission is £31.85, reduced to £ 27.85 for members.
From Knutsford Station to the Knutsford Gate of Tatton Park is a half-mile walk along Knutsford’s King Street where shops are participating in Floral Knutsford to connect to the Show. There is a shuttle bus service from the Knutsford Gate to the Show site.
