A community green space in Pembroke has received a Force For Nature grant on top of winning two consecutive annual RHS awards and a 2023 Keep Wales Tidy Green Flag Award.
Tabernacle Garden Through Time is planted in such a way that the beds denote when specific plants were introduced into gardens. It also has new areas - Dig for Victory, that recognises the enormous efforts across the UK to feed our population during the war years, and one commemorating the late Queen Elizabeth, with trees from the Queen’s Canopy; her chosen jubilee roses; Myrtle from her wedding bouquet (and funeral wreath) and, most recently planted, many hundreds of bulbs that will display in Spring and early summer. Amongst these are 500 plus purple crocus bulbs have been donated by Rotary Club to mark the work being done worldwide to achieve the eradication of polio.
The Force For Nature grant has been given in order to further increase biodiversity and wildlife in the garden. The garden closed to the public at the end of October in order that work can take place to create a wild life pond; improve the steps and accessibility; improve signage; further extend planting by creating arbours and arches and introducing a wormery to the bug hotel and bird sanctuary areas. Many volunteers including those from Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, have been busy progressing this work a pace! If you would like to be involved, contact Joan Marsh 0791 720 5512.
The garden will be open on Saturday, December 16, 10am to 12.30pm, to host a Community Nativity Trail. The trail will start in garden, accessed from the Commons entrance and end with carol singing after refreshments in the church on Pembroke Main Street.
The route is not wheelchair accessible, owing to many steps, but the church will be open to welcome visitors throughout the occasion.