In 2008 BOST created a wildlife area in Christ Church Garden, funded by The Big Lottery Fund's `Breathing Places' programme, Land Securities, Better Bankside, Christ Church, Southwark , The Metropolitan Public Gardens Association and the Western Riverside Environmental Fund and with support from Southwark Parks.

We transformed a previously dull border of unattractive, tall shrubs that provided cover for anti-social behaviour and gave little aesthetic or wildlife interest. We wanted to provide a pretty place of refuge for local people to encounter wildlife amongst the new high rise building developments about to surround the garden. The border now has a diversity of plants to attract a range of wildlife and a variety of flowers, foliage and scent for the public to enjoy.

Just within a few months of planting, bees were collecting nectar and pollen, butterflies sunning themselves and caterpillars resting on the nasturtium leaves!  We have had so much complimentary feedback from so many people about the changes, including, most imporantly, the general public who use the park.  The Rector of Christ Church has said "The wildlife garden has rightly drawn much praise from a wide variety of people who have found in it a much needed beacon of hope and life at this particular time in this changing part of London."

Plants and features

The wildife area includes:

• flowers such as catmint, bellflower, golden rold, Japanese anemone, foxglove, lemon balm, angelica, marjoram, michaelmas daisy, stonecrop, red valerian and marigold planted in sunny spots to encourage butterflies and bees and other insects;
• evening-scented primrose, tabacco plant and honeysuckle to attract moths;
• a mixed native hedge; climbers such as `Rambling Rector' rose, clematis and ivy along the back railings and up the trees; shrubs including cornelian cherry, elder, hawthorn, pyracantha and berberis; all to provide shelter and berries for birds and small mammals;
• two log piles as homes for stag beetles and other mini-beasts and to support funghi. These are situated in the shady part of the border under tree canopies and are planted with woodland and shade-loving plants including bugle, viola, fern, primrose, comfrey, lungwort, hellebore, bleeding heart and periwinkle.

We've retained the existing compost bins, which provide nooks and crannies for mini-beasts, and which are screened by a lovely Hypericum hedge. We have also installed wildife features including  bird, bat and butterfly boxes and bird feeders.

To ensure interest for people, we have planted white and yellow flowers for visually impaired people; plants with aromatic leaves and flowers; evergreens for all year round interest; winter-flowering shurbs and coloured stems; and later flowerers.

Community involvement

The project would not have been possible without the input of local people giving their time and energy for free!

The Christ Church Garden steering group of local representatives has overseen the project, contributing support, practical help and ideas.  In February, staff from Land Securities braved the cold to clear the site of the old planting and to build log piles.  A wet day in March didn't deter volunteers from Better Bankside from grafting hard to plant the hedges and shrubs - click here to view photos of the day.  In addition to these corporate work days, volunteers who live locally put in lots of hours to dig, plant and mulch and water. Between January and November 2008, 52 gardening sessions took involving 68 volunteers! One volunteer, who had not gardened before joining the project, has gone on to horticultural training. He said "What started off as a day in the sun turned into a hobby and has grown into a new career. I am now finishing my NVQ1 in horticulture and soon will be starting my RHS Level 2."

The design for the planting scheme was produced by a student, Katrin Schlenzka, from the local Pickard School of Garden Design, who won our competition for students to submit designs.

We also employed local people and community groups wherever possible: a woodwork artist, Arthur de Mowbray, made delightful planting containers from renewable chestnut and plywood, which are situated by the benches; L'Arche Lambeth, a community of people with learning disabilities, crafted the bird bath; the insect homes and bird boxes were made by homeless people from St. Mungo's.

Local children grew annual flowers from seed and planted them up in the wooden containers. We also ran environmental arts and crafts activities for toddlers, school children and children and parents from The London Ecumenical Aids Trust and Waterloo Parents and Carers Network. We held an activity session for older visually impaired people from Blackfriars Settlement. They planted up hanging baskets with sensory plants, which now hang at the church entrance. One of the participants who particularly enjoyed this said she had "never done anything like this before".

In November 2008 2000 spring-flowering bulbs were planted by the community in one day.  We were joined by corporate volunteers from Land Securities and Standard Chartered Bank, as well as students from the nearby London Nautical School and some local individuals.  Fiona Ferguson from Standard Chartered Bank said "All thought it was an excellent, rewarding day.  Very well planned and co-ordinated with both clear joining instructions and advice/guidance on the day.  Everyone also said it was a pleasure to work with others from the community too."

As part of this project and in conjuction with the `Breathing Places' project at Red Cross Garden, we ran a series of wildlife training workshops for BOST volunteers in spring and early summer 2009.

In May 2009 the final touches to the border were made, with the installation of sustainable chestnut log edging by Transform Landscapes, which has also supported the project with free consultancy advice.

On 28th May 2009 we celebrated the creation of the wildlife border with an opening ceremony at Christ Church Garden and speeches from Captain Terry Drummond, Personal Assistant and Lay Chaplain to The Bishop of Southwark, and Adele Morris, Southwark Councillor.  About 170 supporters, funders and volunteers attended, including children who enjoyed the arts and crafts activities specially put on for the occasion.  For more details about the event, see the local news coverage at londonSE1.

Everyone involved in the project was delighted that the wildlife border won a `Silver' award in Southwark in Bloom's `Best Wildlife Garden' category in July 2010!

In August 2009 DEFRA used the wildlife project as a case study to promote its Muck In4Life campaign to get people involved in conservation work.  For details of the case study, see the report on londonSE1.

There is still on-going maintenance to be done on this project, so we welcome any new volunteers who want to help. If you would like to be involved, please contact Heather or email heather@bost.org.uk.

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