Children's play area planned and family activities return to Spode Rose Garden
A community garden which has undergone various improvements works is set to see the return of family fun activities - in time for the Easter school holidays.
Volunteers have been busy preparing and transforming land at Spode Rose Garden in Stoke Town for the last five months, with pruning, weeding and litter removal taking place.
Raised flower beds have been installed and some painting work has been carried out to further brighten up the pocket park, which can be found on the historic Spode Factory site and plans are now underway to install a children's play area in the garden.
On Saturday 19 April, an Easter Egg Hunt will be taking place.
Carol Britnell, volunteer coordinator for Spode Rose Garden, says: "Every two weeks we've been holding volunteer days where local residents have helped us to carry out various works at the site.
"We have been very pleased with what has already been done and are really looking forward to our Easter Egg Hunt - which will be the first family fun activity we have been able to hold at the garden for a while - and is free to attend.
"We will be having fun puzzles to solve on the day as well as creative activities in the garden - including painting concrete slabs outside, which are for the new children's play area.
"Families are also encouraged to bring along a picnic."
Bookings for the Easter Egg Hunt, which is taking place between 11am-2pm are required. More information here.
Over the last 12 years Spode Rose Garden has developed in a number of stages. In 2015 the naming of a bespoke hybrid tea rose - an old-type rose - The Spode China Rose took place and in 2016 the garden was officially designated a Pocket Park at the same time The Friends of Spode Rose Garden group was formed - a team of volunteers who have helped to develop and maintain the site.
In 2017, the group took a physical design to the annual RHS Tatton Garden Show and won a Silver Gilt medal in the Blooming Borders section. This "Blue Italian" inspired border returned to Stoke Town and is now a permanent feature of the garden.
In 2023 and 2024, flooring was renovated and The Friends of Spode Rose Garden were successful in being awarded funding from the Stoke High Street Accelerator (Stoke HSA), pilot to carry out the recent improvement works at the site this year, which include the development of disused land adjacent to the main garden, which is now a nursery where volunteers grow plants and hold public skills workshops.
Glen Stoker, Chair of The Friends of Spode Rose Garden, said: "The garden has become an important site for creative production, development and a celebration of the relationship between ceramics and horticulture.
"From what was a disused piece a land, it has now become a lovely place to meet and enjoy nature and we cannot thank our volunteers enough. We welcome more volunteers as we develop the children's play area and we are looking forward to holding horticultural up-skilling sessions."
The Stoke HSA is part of the £500,000 Greenspace Funding awarded to Stoke-on-Trent City Council to enable Accelerator partnerships to deliver projects to improve green spaces and parklets around Stoke Town Centres high street.
For more information and to book a place at the Easter Egg Hunt on Saturday 19 April, visit HERE
Find The Friends of Spode Rose Garden on Facebook for events and volunteer updates and enquiries.
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