New community garden at canalside Ellesmere Yard needs volunteers

Members of the community are being urged to get involved in the new garden at Ellesmere Yard with planting getting underway on Saturday .

The historic and still operational canal maintenance site sits alongside the Llangollen canal on the edge of Ellesmere.

Attached to a collection of listed buildings is some peaceful canal side land which the Canal & River Trust is seeking to open up for community use and enjoyment.

The trust says that key to this initiative is supporting the restoration and improvement of this green space for wildlife and biodiversity.

Over the last 18 months, the trust has hosted a number of community planning events at the yard which has involved working with a local ecologist and a landscape and permaculture design expert to understand the potential of the land and develop some outline designs which builds on and enriches the local ecology.

Ruth Essex for the Trust said: "Local people have helped carry out some initial wildlife surveying including looking more closely at what plants are growing there. This has generated a range of ideas of how biodiversity could be better protected and increased."

"It is now time to start planting. On February 5 between 10.30 am and 14.30pm there will be an orchard and hedgerow planting workshop open to all.

"Come and be the initiators of a new orchard of apple, pear and plum trees which it is hoped will develop and expand over the years and feed people for a very long time.

"You can learn about the local ecology and help plant a new section of native hedgerow and enjoy working outdoors for nature as the days slowly get longer."

For more information or to sign up to the event, email Ruth at ellesmereyard@gmail.com or call on 07769 205375.

You can find out more about the wider Ellesmere Yard project online at linktr.ee/EllesmereYard.