Folkestone Harbour's garden project is launched

Where Folkestone’s harbour railway rusts, long quiet of trains, nature has been blooming with a delicate determination. Now the faded industrial landscape and its thriving wild flowers have inspired a new community initiative - to create two areas of shingle garden close to the entrance to the Harbour Arm. 

The initiative was born out of Folkestone Quarterhouse and Folkestone Fringe’s regular brain storming sessions for their jointly created festivals. The Harbour Gardening Project is part of the SALT festival of the Sea and Environment taking place around Quarterhouse and the Harbour from 29^th September to 2 October https://www.quarterhouse.co.uk/festivals/salt-festival-of-the-sea-and-environment/

 

The project has been developed by Diane Dever, director of Folkestone Fringe, working with garden expert Frances Tophill, who knows the Kent coast and its species well. They decided to recruit volunteers to bring the idea to life and on Monday 8^th August the Folkestone Harbour Gardening Project was officially launched. 

In early evening sunshine an enthusiastic group of volunteers gathered and introduced themselves.Some are artists or like the idea of working communally outdoors. Others are interested in ecology and it soon became clear that a few are expert gardeners and horticulturists, especially landscape architect Bridget Robinson. 

From group discussions, two guiding principles quickly emerged. The first was an enthusiasm for utilising materials already on site – stuff that some might think of as ‘junk’, along with sleepers and

materials from the railway – to create sculptures and garden structures such as paths and seats. The second was to include plant species that are either already growing or would naturally thrive in this coastal landscape. 

Louella Ward of Folkestone Fringe is leading a small team to meet the challenge of identifying and recording the species of plants currently growing wild. Among them is samphire, from which nearby Samphire Hoe takes its name. The edible, nutritious leaves of the railway’s plants are already harvested by local restaurants as an accompaniment to fish dishes.

 

 

 

 

 

Another major challenge is that of trying to save the wild plants as their current location on the railway line becomes threatened by works being carried out. The old station environment is being restored to create a pleasant new walkway into the Harbour Arm – and also a space for the first brand new shingle garden. 

A second area of garden will be created in the courtyard known as the Enterprise Zone and one of the first tasks here is to clear a large area of fading hardware, from chairs to sleepers, and identify their potential as the makings of sculptures. 

The Folkestone Harbour Gardening Project meets every Monday from 6pm to 8pm at the entrance to the Harbour Arm and volunteers are welcome. For information on taking part or register your interest, please contact Louella Ward on louella@folkestonefringe.com. I'll be posting updates each week, so do check in.

Faith Warn