2006 Garden Trail Report

Garden Trail Report 2006

The 2006 Garden Trail was held at the end of July. The weather over the weekend was not as kind to us as in previous years, and rain on Saturday afternoon may have deterred some visitors.

There were 27 gardens in total in the trail, around half of which were “Over the Garden Wall” viewings. The theme of the 2006 trail was parrots, and it was interesting to see how garden owners interpreted this in their gardens. Model parrots were frequent visitors to trail gardens, including flying parrots at one garden, and a spectacular planted parrot complete with a feathered head.

Kirkby Stephen Station upstaged everyone, as they had a nest of spotted flycatchers in a hanging basket, which explains why it was not as well tended as the others on the station.

The gardens showed an amazing variety of flowers and shrubs, and contributed to making Kirkby Stephen an attractive town, and justifying its successes in the Cumbria in Bloom competition in recent years.

Attendance was lower this year than in the past, possibly due to similar events elsewhere the same weekend. Efforts are being made to improve advertising for 2007, and to raise the profile of the trail.

In spite of the lower numbers taking part, £671 was raised for local charities. Donations of £300 each have been made to the Kirkby Stephen Health Centre towards a syringe driver, and to the Great North Air Ambulance for its operations in Cumbria. Funding will be also provided to assist the Kirkby Stephen entry into “Britain in Bloom” in 2007.

The Committee has been refreshed with new blood, with an aim of ensuring the 2007 trail is appropriate to support Kirkby Stephen’s “Britain Bloom” entry.