New garden marking Queen's Jubilee taking roots in Blyth

A special ceremony is being held to mark the official opening of the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee Garden.

The Friends of Crofton Field have created the new venture, which will be formally opened by the Mayor of Blyth, Councillor Warren Taylor on Thursday, June 2, at 2.15pm, during a celebratory ‘Open Afternoon’ in the Dune Walk Car Park.

The ‘Garden for all Seasons’ contains perennial plants which have been carefully chosen to provide all year round colour and interest.

A spokesperson for The Friends group said: “The garden aims to replicate the Queen’s constant devotion to her people as our monarch during her long reign.

"Just as she has been there for us in all seasons, so the garden aims to provide a constant display of colourful foliage and flowers throughout every season into the foreseeable future.”

Construction of the garden has been made possible by generous grants from Northumberland County Council, Blyth Town Council, and a private individual.

The spokesperson added: “Following a significant delay in the delivery of materials, the constructors, led by Ken Hood and John Emmerson, have worked exceptionally hard to build the raised beds in time,

“Nearly one hundred perennial plants were specially selected by Adam Greenwold at Perennial Favourites Nursery in Blyth and were planted out by Blyth Trefoil Guild.

"These plants have been augmented by annual herbaceous plants grown from seed by the Friends’ Group. At the end of the summer, they will be replaced by bulbs, which will provide swathes of spring colour each year.”

The Queen’s Platinum Garden is part of a project to transform the Dune Walk car park, that includes the creation of a community garden, a sunflower garden and a soft fruit border, all of which have been entered for this summer’s ‘Northumbria in Bloom’ and ‘Blyth in Bloom’ gardening competitions.

John Whittle, the group’s chairperson, said: “The Friends aim to provide a colourful uplift to a once neglected part of Blyth which will help to lift everyone’s spirits post-Covid.

“The transformation will continue into the late summer with the creation of ‘Cornflower Corners’ sponsored by Morrisons, which will feature the Queen’s favourite flower.”