In early 2009 a small group of volunteer parishioners re-designed and planted up the then bare garden with a mixture of shrubs, perennials and annual plants. The whole area was transformed and the church building and environs were given new life and made more welcoming to all.
Many passers-by stop to admire and reflect in the front gardens. This has given us opportunities to invite people over the ‘threshold’ which can – as Archbishop Vincent Nicholls said at a memorial Mass for Cardinal Hume – ‘be a very spiritual place, a place where people can take one small step towards renewing their faith or making an initial commitment.’
In its first year the gardens were awarded a Silver Merit Award by the Richmond Borough in Bloom Committee in their annual competition.
After the 2009/10 coldest winter in 30 years the garden again flourished and that Summer, after a lot of hard work, won a Gold Merit Award and also a Certificate of Excellence from the London in Bloom competition judges. This success was repeated in 2011 with yet another Gold Merit Award and Certificate of Excellence. Our efforts also helped towards Richmond achieving a Silver Guilt Award in the Britain in Bloom competition. Click on any photo to gallery.
We are always grateful for new volunteers prepared to undertake even the more mundane gardening tasks such as watering, weeding and sweeping which, although not so attractive, are nevertheless very necessary in order to produce good results.
If you are interested in volunteering on a regular basis throughout the year please contact Catherine Ridler at the church.
sacred heart teddington 