Some of Manchester’s most mistreated inner-city areas are among those to have been shortlisted for this year’s RHS and MEN Ginnel Garden Competition.
The Manchester Evening News spoke to some of the nominees in the Ginnel Garden Competition ahead of the final announcement coming soon, where the winner will be invited to attend the RHS Tatton Park Flower Show opening on 19 July and will win £1,000 to help transform their communal alley.
Nick Roberts, who lives on Landcross Road, in Fallowfield, has helped restore a section of the alley - off Furness Road - to deter anti-social actions and protect the birds, ducks, bees and butterflies that populate in the little green oasis.
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“I’ve been fighting to deter crime and vandalism in the area. Last week trash was dumped in the alley, pallets were removed and upturned, broken bottles and glass, and half the plant stock was destroyed and even defecated here - it’s difficult to deal with,” he told the MEN.
Nick has dedicated the alley in memory of his close friends Charlie, who also lived on Landcross Road, and Percy, who lived on Langley Road and both passed away in November 2019. It is also for Clint, the cat, who ‘ruled the alleyway’ for over 13 years and loved the area.
“The area has undergone stages of restoration from clearing out rubbish, uprooting weeds between the cobbles, wall detailing, and power washing. I’ve added dianthus, lavender, tomato plants, lobelia and a Chinese lantern tree - you live and grow around your environment and what you have,” Nick said.
When the MEN asked Nick what the competition meant to him, he said: “What I like about the competition is to receive professional advice on what works and what doesn’t - that’s the most valuable thing to me. It’s so I can go out of my comfort zone with what I have here.
“Life is also about bringing new things in. I’m not professional - I’m just Nick Roberts, and these people can help grow this place into something more.”
Partners Chris, 35, and Leonie were inspired to create their own plant-filled haven in their alley - running between Lostock Avenue and Broom Lane in Levenshulme - after living in Moss Side for a number of years and contributing to its well-established community garden ginnel.
The pair hope to replicate the Yew Tree Moss Side alley and develop a space that residents can come to love and spend time in.
Chris, a graphic designer, said: “We moved into Levenshulme two years ago. Prior to that, I lived next to an incredible community alleyway in Moss Side where some amazing women on the street looked after it.
“So I’ve always been inspired to repeat that. Since moving here we've cleaned up the new alley, removing rubbish and fly-tipping, and then added tables, chairs, and a little greenhouse currently growing tomatoes, courgettes, chillies, sunflowers, and a tub of potatoes and plants gifted to us by friends.”
When Chris moved to Moss Side originally, he remembers people being wary but he never experienced those worries; instead he was embraced by a brilliant community.
“Living in Moss Side completely changed my mindset on ginnels and alleys, they can be so beautiful, and created as an extended garden and shared space for local residents. It’s great to see all the garden alleys popping up in and around the area now, and we hope we can help Levenshulme become the same.”
The couple hope that through winning the competition, they can help use the funds to build planters as a group, working with Broomstock Gardens, and filling them with various wildflowers and fruit trees from Bud Garden Centre.
Chris said: “We’d love to build a green roof for our bin storage spaces and a small wooden gate to replace the line of bins used by residents to stop dogs running loose. It would be great if we could get to a place where we could open our alley to the Levenshulme and Burnage Open Gardens next year.”
Amanda Walsh, 49, started to get her neighbours from Hornbeam and Lonsdale Road, in Levenshulme, onboard to create a clean and safe community space in their communal garden after enduring a huge fly-tipping problem, with the hopes of transforming a bin alley into an extended garden.
“I have an inspiring vision for this place through engaging the community and making that vision a reality. Cleaning and maintaining is not just about physical cleanliness, it’s a group involvement and helps create a safe, clean and inviting communal space,” she told the MEN.
Amanda hopes that through this vision, she can continue to host volunteer clean-up days, encourage residents to take responsibility for their back area, and invite them to social gatherings to get to know each other and involve children too.
She said: “I have lots of passion about my ginnel as it is an extension of all our gardens. We’ve started to achieve community involvement, even children wanting to help and being curious about the plants and cleaning - I’ve spoken with them about growing vegetables too for the children to learn and take pride in.”
The social worker has worked hard over the last three years to transform the alley into an inviting space, but she hopes that with some funding she can continue growing the area with aesthetically pleasing planters, and decorative items that reflect the culture and character of the area.
“I believe that the ginnel is a vital part of all our community and hopefully by winning this competition, it would help us all with some financial assistance to create a clean, safe, space and build community spirit,” she said.
“Knowing and talking to our neighbours and supporting each other, and investing in this all together, we will not only be very proud, and it will not only benefit our ginnel and the immediate area, but it will inspire other communities to come together to transform their neglected spaces into vibrant communal assets."
Amanda also hopes she can showcase the results of the progress in order to make it sustainable in the future for everyone.
The winners will receive an invitation to attend the opening day of RHS Flower Show Tatton Park, a design consultation with Jason Williams, a former exhibitor at RHS Tatton Park and RHS Chelsea Flower Show, who will share his expert tips and ideas on how they can transform their ginnel, plus £1,000 in vouchers to spend on plants and materials needed to bring the vision to life.
Helena Pettit, Director of Gardens and Shows said: “We are really thrilled to be partnering with Manchester Evening News on this exciting community gardening competition. Plants and gardens enrich lives and bring people together. We are delighted that individuals and community groups across the North West have come together and created fantastic ginnel gardens, transforming these often unwelcome, grey spaces into green pockets full of plants.
“There are still hundreds of ginnels that remain unloved and through this competition and the Ginnel Garden at RHS Flower Show Tatton Park hope to inspire more people to bring their ginnels to life through the power of plants and flowers.”
