Last Saturday, along with other members of Grapes Hill Community Garden Group, I visited the Bowthorpe Heritage Group Community Garden. It was a cool, dull day but we received a warm welcome from the volunteers who met us, showed us around and supplied tea and biscuits.

The garden is just off Tolye Road in Bowthorpe, next to Bowthorpe Church. It was started in 2001 when a half acre of discused farmland and a crumbling nineteenth century flint barn were cleared from the site. Local residents formed Bowthorpe Heritage Group and rented the land from Norwich City Council and created the garden.

A large flowerbed in the shape of a butterfly was created in 2006 and the garden was extended in 2008 to include raised beds and hard surfaced paths and again in 2011, when a wildlife garden, orchard and water storage facility were added. There is also a curved pergola at the entrance (with climbing roses) and a History Wall, which illustrates the history of Bowthorpe through a series of mosaic panels.

The garden is open 24 hours a day yet vandalism is almost non-existent. The paths give access through the garden via a variety of routes and local residents often pass through on the way to school, shops or work, as well as making visits just to the garden. Surrounded by houses, the garden feels like a village green rather than part of a Norwich suburb.

When we visited the garden was full of colour, with early summer flowers such as Oriental Poppies, Aquilegia and hardy Geraniums. The highlight for me, though, was the sea of white Sweet Rocket (Hesperis matronalis) and Oxeye Daisies in the wildflower meadow.

Wildflower meadow: Sweet Rocket and Oxeye Daisies

The Bowthorpe Heritage Group doesn’t have a website but can be contacted by telephone – Adrian (07765 350383) or Madge (01603 734767). There are regular garden tasks, on alternate Sunday afternoons.