More than 4,000 plants and eight trees that were donated by an award-winning Chelsea Flower Show entrant are being planted by green-fingered volunteers, to help transform the Packington Estate.
Landscape artist Ruth Willmott Associates, whose display wowed attendees at the Chelsea Flower Show, donated the plants and trees to help make the Packington Estate a cleaner, greener, and healthier place. The display at Chelsea – which was awarded a gold medal in the Show Garden category – was sponsored and inspired by designers Morris and Co.
More than 100 volunteers have come together to plant the eight trees, as well as the 4,000 plants and shrubs at Packington Square, Canalside Square, Canalside Gardens, Union Square, and Rheidol Green over the course of three days. The project has been run by Islington Council and the ARC Community Centre, with support from Sixty7.green, Remarkably, Big Alliance and Hyde Housing.
The planting sessions are part of a wider volunteering programme that is set to be rolled out soon. Volunteering in an Islington park or green space is a fantastic way to meet new people, improve physical and mental wellbeing, and gain practical skills.
With Volunteers’ Week running until Tuesday, 7 June, it’s a great time to sign up to the council’s volunteering days, or to join one of Islington’ many parks groups.
Islington’s parks and green spaces are vital for health and wellbeing, especially as many local people do not have their own gardens. That is why the council is reimagining the borough’s green spaces, by investing in parks, introducing planters in people-friendly streets neighbourhoods, and through the Islington Greener Together programme, which gives local people the opportunity to apply for council funding for green projects in their area.
Cllr Rowena Champion, Islington Council’s Executive Member for Environment, Air Quality and Transport, said: “We know how important Islington’s public spaces are to local people, and we’re working hard to make them as environmentally-friendly and attractive as possible.
“We’re delighted to have worked with hundreds of volunteers to transform green spaces across the Packington Estate, making it a more biodiverse and pleasant area that local people can enjoy.
“Volunteering to support green spaces is a fantastic way to meet new people, improve your physical and mental health, and to learn more about how to garden, so we’d really encourage local people to get involved in green projects in their area.”
