ENTERTAINMENT THROUGH THE GARDEN GAT E


The Sanctuary Garden, Sandford Park, Cheltenham THROUGH THE GARDEN GATE 106


CHELTENHAM AND IT’S AWARD-WINNING BOTANICAL HISTORY


Television horticulturist, Camilla Bassett-Smith, proudly champions the excellent environmentally friendly ethos of her Gloucestershire home town.


Cheltenham has had an award-winning botanical history, often un-rivalled in its glorious horticultural displays. From parks to baskets and town centre green spaces, there has always been a positive plethora of plants to admire. Swathes of bright bedding plants, so loved in the Victorian era, have been subject to many a glance from an appreciative camera lens over the decades, but as tastes change, along with the desire for enhanced environmental responsibility, the way we garden has undergone quite a transformation.


Anyone attending a flower show will have seen the rise of the perennial, sustainable planting scheme. From Tom Stuart Smith’s climate resilient perennials in his 2021 ‘Horticultural Hero Garden’ at Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival, to Sarah Price’s delightful ‘Nurture Landscapes Garden’ at The RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2023, there has been many a memorable example, and it seems that this ethos is being rolled out across the country and here at home in Gloucestershire.


So it is that Cheltenham’s green spaces are in an era of change, with an emphasis now on carefully designed planting schemes that not only enhance the town’s beauty but also support biodiversity.


Cheltenham Borough Council’s commitment to sustainable LIVE24-SEVEN.COM LIVE24-SEVEN.COM


planting actually dates back to the launch of the Habitat Cheltenham Project in 2018 which saw many areas transformed including Montpellier roundabout and Winston Churchill Memorial Garden.


Berkeley Gardens at the junction of Hewlett Road and Berkeley Street saw high-maintenance annual bedding replaced in 2022 with a diverse mix of perennials and shrubs providing pollen, nectar, seeds, nesting material and shelter for birds and insects. Perennials selected included geums, geraniums, rudbeckias, heleniums and lavenders to name a few, interspersed with bulbs for added seasonal variety.


Camilla with naturalistic planting


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