Chiswick Business Park landscaper create interactive haven for school children

Volunteers from Chiswick Business Park have planted an interactive sensory garden in the playground of Grove Park School to surprise students and staff when they return after the half-term break. The newly created zone provides a place to enjoy their surroundings and relax away from the hectic environment of the main playground.

The garden incorporates elements to stimulate the children’s senses, including herbs to taste and honeysuckle to delight their sense of smell. The volunteers, who are expert landscape gardeners, had to cut back and completely redesign the area, known as the ‘quiet zone’, before making space for the wide variety of plants donated.

The volunteers, all of whom work at Chiswick Business Park, decided to create the garden as a result of the strong relationship Chiswick Park’s ‘Enjoy Work’ team have developed with the local community. This event will build upon an already extensive number of collaborations. These include last month’s tree planting day at Chester Recreation Community Woodland.

Grove Park School’s Caretaker, Brian Hardman said, "We were talking about the 'quiet area' recently, so we were so excited when we got the phone call from Chiswick Park offering to come down and help us. It has needed sorting out for a while now, but we just don't have the labour to do something like this quickly. We really can't say enough about how much it means to have Chiswick Park come down and do this for us."

Chiswick Park Community Manager, Fran Goddard said, "The sensory garden is the latest in Chiswick Park's many plans to support local schools. Over the past year, volunteers have helped to improve Grove Park's landscaping, hygiene and health and safety practices. We are also working to support many other local schools and will be hosting ecology lessons at our Office Park next month for seven schools in the local area."

February 27, 2008