Beth Chatto Gardens to open Meanwhile Garden with Pam Cox

Beth Chatto Gardens has been working on a community green space on the plot of land where Colchester bus station once stood, near Firstsite, in Queen's Street. 

The public pocket garden is due to open on Saturday at 11am, with worksheets for children, workers on hand to answer questions and Colchester MP Pam Cox, who originally suggested the idea in 2023, in attendance.

Unique - an overview of the garden (Image: Grace Capel)

Essex County Council owns the land and it is understood the space will return to the authority when it has a use for it again.

This project is the first of its kind in the UK and once open will be maintained by a volunteer team working with experts at the world-famous Beth Chatto Gardens. 

Award-winning urban garden designer Darryl Moore was also employed to help create the garden alongside the Beth Chatto Education Trust. 

Bosses at the gardens say it is unlike perfectly planned green spaces and more of a community-driven rock garden, with flowers growing out of rubble from a nearby Horizon Construction site. 

Icon - Julia Boulton sat in the gardens (Image: Grace Capel)

Julia Boulton, CEO of Beth Chatto Gardens and Beth's granddaughter, said: "It's a very different look to that of Beth's actual garden which is intricately planted and maintained by a highly experienced team of gardeners.

"It's also very different to a public park with lawns, traditional borders and planting.

"We hope that the people of Colchester will come to love this new space and appreciate it for its differences."

Beautiful - a butterfly enjoying the flowers (Image: Grace Capel)

Plants such as teasel and budlia were planted by gardeners as they are low-maintenance and over time will spread their seeds which will also grow in the rubble.

Benches made by local youngsters and a seat from the Chelsea Flower Show are also on display in the garden.

Julia said: "Beth Chatto was a pioneer in sustainable planting, and using her extensive knowledge of plants and the conditions they naturally grow in, I knew that we could select plants adapted to thrive in the given conditions and use those which wouldn't require too much maintenance.

"I feel that it's important for us to show that sites like this, with little to no public funds, can be transformed into marvellously valuable spaces for both biodiversity and the community."