Newton Road Dry Garden

A number of years ago, Tilbrooks – then Horticultural Contractors for Babergh District Council - created a raised ‘dry’ bed on the large grassed area along the Newton Road. This bed has flourished and is now well established.

In 2006, the Sudbury in Bloom committee member, May Berkouwer, put forward a proposal to extend this feature and add to it with further beds around the central feature and against the existing back-drop of trees and a good display of daffodils every Spring.
The intention was that such a dry garden area could serve many purposes:

• Recreation area for Sudbury, maybe especially for people working on industrial estate; sponsors for a few benches will be sought.
• Education on ‘dry gardening’ for the future (climate changes); Labelling of plants would increase this value
• Provide a great entry point to Sudbury.

The idea was given full committee support and since then May Berkouwer and John Sayers of Sudbury in Bloom have worked at this idea: it is now coming to fruition.

A local Garden designer, Helen Double, of AD Design Consultants Ltd, kindly gave her time to work on this project as a volunteer, and drew up the planting scheme. The plants used were selected according to the following criteria:

• they will grow and flourish without requiring watering;
• they are be attractive to insect life (not wildlife as this location is not suitable, being next to a busy road)
• they will form an attractive bed and make an impact as an entry point to Sudbury: a number of large and bold varieties have been chosen. So that they will show up well to passing traffic.
• The planting will complement and enhance the existing raised bed.

The residents across the road have shown an interest and have been invited to take part in this project. They will participate in the planting and will help ‘keep an eye’ on the new beds as they become established.

The beds were dug over and prepared with organic material in the Spring 2008 by Flowers Groundcare. The plants were sourced through the Sudbury Resource Centre. On Saturday 19th April the main planting went ahead with volunteers’ assistance.
Final planting, and top dressing with gravel, will take place in June 2008, when the beds will be officially inaugurated.
Stage two of this plan is, that a further two beds will be planted up once these two are established. There will be some educational labelling to explain the planting and give people ideas of what may be done in their own gardens. For the future it is hoped that the existing footpaths, which end abruptly opposite Cats Lane and at the Esso Station may be extended.
This would provide good access, and improve the appearance of this road, as a well trodden path already exists. Local councils have been approached in the past; so far there has been so progress but new applications will be made.