Imagination, community spirit and the power of the sea

On Friday 30^th September, we launched our shingle garden to a curious public. The event was a viewing and talk, one of many events in the full and varied calendar of the Folkestone SALT festival of the sea and environment, which was held over several days and proved to be a great success. 

 

In bright sunshine, we enjoyed meeting our garden advisor, BBC presenter Frances Tophill. Frances grew up in Deal and now lives on the Devon coast. She loves maritime gardens and plants, so we benefitted from her advice and knowledge about some of our own maritime railway line specimens. "The garden looks really good – and I can see the potential”, Frances told us. “It’s taken imagination and community spirit to get this far, so do keep it going.” 

A good crowd foregathered and Diane Dever of the Harbour Arm and Folkestone Fringe led our tour to see first what I have dubbed the Harry Potter garden, beyond the old station wall.

Then we moved to the old station platform, marvelled at the variety of plants on the railway line and discussed how they might have found their way there. 

After sheltering from a sharp shower, we finally revealed our completed East Yard shingle garden and were delighted by the response. Many visitors seemed to have shingle or maritime gardens of their own, so were interested to pick up information and ideas. In general the space was declared fabulous and amazing, with much appreciation of the creative use of materials combined with the preservation of plants – and all gathered from the site. 

 

Bigger discussions about shingle and the Folkestone Harbour and beach ensued, led by coastal engineer Paul Brenton, who is involved in the harbour development.

Did you know that shingle is composed of silica, derived from chalk, and acts like a giant sponge to provide valuable sea defences?

 

“We’re blessed with huge banks of shingle in the south east”, explained Paul, “and there’s a movement from west to east, so the shingle on Folkestone beach comes round from Dungeness." 

 

It was Derek Jarman’s garden on Dungeness that fostered the idea for our shingle garden, so you could say that inspiration and ideas have followed the course of those beautiful, rounded multi-hued pebbles as they are tossed and thrust by the mighty power of the sea. 

Enough of this waxing poetic. Don’t miss the next blog entry for a properly brilliant actual poem about the shingle garden from eco-poet Chris Poundwhite. You’ll love it!