Petrus is returning to the RHS Tatton Park Flower show for their 5th year! The ‘Kaleidoscope Ginnel Garden,’ has been co-designed by service users and local community organisations to celebrate the diverse friendships formed through community gardening and inspire people to ‘see a different perspective.’
Introduced for the first time at last year’s RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, the Ginnel Garden proved immensely popular with visitors. A ginnel, sometimes also known as an alleyway or a snicket, is a narrow passageway between a row of houses – often an unused space in an urban residential area. In 2023, the Ginnel Garden celebrated the way these spaces were transformed into vibrant and productive spaces by communities during the pandemic.
Inspired by the 60th anniversary of RHS’s Britain in Bloom, three community organisations from across Rochdale will build this year’s ginnel to celebrate the diverse friendships formed through gardening.
Rachael Bennion, lead designer and Petrus Service Lead said: “At our community allotment, PIER, people who have experienced isolation and hardship can find belonging and friendship. Being part of Rochdale in Bloom amplifies that feeling and has helped us connect with the wider community. Our take on the Ginnel Garden is a tribute to the positive impact it has had in our community, showcasing the friendships, and opportunities we’ve all had as a result.”
The Kaleidoscope Ginnel Garden has been created with the support of service users, volunteers and staff from Petrus, Falinge Park High School and charity Aspire to Inspire. Each community group will have their own section of the ginnel reflecting their community and experiences of friendship.
The display also hopes to inspire visitors to see things from a different perspective by reflecting what people who have experienced homelessness, isolation, mental health issues and other complex social needs can achieve when they are empowered, trusted and believed in.
Visitors can expect to be inspired by sunlight dancing through textured glass, a rainbow of plants, an abundance of garden art, and chatty benches to forge new friendships and hear people’s stories. Through the lens of their Kaleidoscopes, they will be able to see what they couldn’t before, from new patterns made by petals to new perspectives on connections and communities.
The garden is kindly sponsored by the RHS, M&Y Maintenance and Construction, J Parker’s, Ecogee and Rochdale Rotary Club. They are also grateful to Rochdale Council, who will be providing support with material storage and logistics.
You can help them on their journey to the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show by donating here.
You can also support them at the show, which takes place from 17-21 July. Tickets can be bought here: www.rhs.org.uk/tatton
