Liverpool 8 is becoming greener with the creation of six community gardens in the Shorefields area.
The new gardens, including those in which food for the local community will be grown as well as ornamental spaces, will be built over the next 12 to 18 months.
The first to be opened is a herb garden built on a disused site at the junction of Cockburn Street and Garswood Street.
Pupils from St Finbar’s School were on hand to help launch the garden which will grow kitchen herbs such as sage, thyme, rosemary, parsley and basil. It has the slogan “plant, grow, cook”
The project has been completed in partnership with Jigsaw Neighbourhood Solutions, Liverpool Housing Trust’s social enterprise with support from Plus Dane’s IN Environmental Services (INES)
Councillor Steve Munby, cabinet member for living environment and localism, said; “We are creating community gardens and green spaces throughout the city but this is one of the most imaginative projects we have been involved in.
“I was at the garden in the weekend after it opened and I saw a young boy proudly tell his mates about the herbs he had planted there – it shows the interest this sort of garden can create.
“The new gardens will not only make the area greener but will allow communities to grow their own food and the herb garden is a great way to launch this scheme.”
The project is sponsored by the L8 Austin Smith foundation. It is being supported with volunteers from McDonalds, Tesco’s, L8 Living Sustainably (Granby Toxteth Development Trust) as well as local residents.
