Chantry Walled Garden announces reopening after revamp

The Chantry Walled Garden plant nursery is a heritage walled garden in a public park, with flower borders and extensive glasshouses, which operates thanks to volunteers.

It is part of the ActivLives charity and following a refurbishment will celebrate its new-look nursery with a plant sale on Tuesday, May 30, from 10am to 2pm.

The nursery team: Left to right: Ann Havard, Fay Millwood, Lynda Dye, Sara Dawson, Mary Camplin, Marion Ward, Jane Flockhart and Tony Farthing, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

Chantry Walled Garden plant nursery reopens after revamp, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

Susannah Robirosa, the fundraising and development manager for ActivGardens, said that the project is all about community gardening, health and well-being.

Chantry Walled Garden plant nursery reopens after revamp, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

Volunteer co-ordinator David, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

She added: “Our nursery is basically run by volunteers whose ages range from young people to people in their 80s.

“We grow plants for sale, plant up beautiful borders and displays, and we have an accessible garden, which we developed to work in partnership with local care homes and people with disabilities and mobility issues.

Abby and Lynda at the nursery, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

Claire plants strawberries on picking table, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

“We were lucky enough to get some locality funding from Councillor Nadia Cenci to purchase secondhand staging from a garden centre that was closing down, and our volunteers worked tremendously hard to put it together so now we have a professional-looking nursery.”

David at the nursery, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

Chantry Walled Garden plant nursery reopens after revamp, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

ActivGardens projects provide volunteers with a place to learn new skills and gain confidence, while being active and enhancing their mental and physical well-being, meeting people, making friends and building contacts.

Jean is happy with hanging basket delivery, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

Ms Robirosa added: “We're encouraging everybody to come, look around and enjoy the beautiful plants.

“Every pound our local community spends with us, gets ploughed back into the charity to support our good work with people in Ipswich and beyond.”

Phoebe at the nursery, ActivLives (Image: ActivLives)

The nursery located in Chantry Park is open on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am to 2pm.

For further information please contact ActivLives on 01473 345350 or email susannah@activlives.org.uk.