Flower beds given some TLC

FOWS volunteers have been freshening up the planters and flower beds on Walkden station, putting down new compost, repainting the kick-boards and planting new summer bedding plants. The untended area at the Wigan end of the Manchester platform is being deliberately left empty at the moment as roof-repairs are imminent at the station and the work crews are likely to use this area for access. FOWS have however secured funding to plant up this area once the roof work is complete.

Walkden Station “In Bloom” with three large planters

Today FOWS volunteers turned out in Bank Holiday rain to install three large planters on the station platform, paid for by a Salford City Council “In Bloom” grant. For more details and pictures of the planters and the planting event, please click here.

Vandals wreck bins again

The two new litter bins installed last week lasted just 5 and 7 days respectively before being destroyed by vandals. Without a staff presence in the afternoon or evening, or CCTV camera coverage, the flimsy hoop-and-bag design has little defence against bored miscreants.

Meanwhile FOWS has started work on the small area of bare earth at the far end of the Manchester platform flower bed. Wooden boards have been fixed which we hope to paint and then plant up in the next couple of weeks.

 

Flower beds bloom again !

After last weekend’s vandalism FOWS volunteers this morning repaired the damaged flower beds, replacing most of the destroyed plants with new pansies, daffodils, lupins and more. Volunteers also tidied up the usual Saturday night detritus and scrubbed the white-wash walls of the upper stairway.

Vandals strike flower beds

Vandals pulled up plants from both flower beds over the weekend. We’ve replanted those that could be rescued but there are a few large, sad gaps in our displays now.

Our plants come from charitable donations or FOWS members’ own funds so replacing lost plants is not easy.

If you have any plants or cuttings that you would like to donate to FOWS we would be very grateful to hear from you at friends@walkdenstation.org.uk

Any criminal or anti-social behaviour should be reported to British Transport Police on their freephone number 0800 40 50 40

Northern Rail Gardening Grant

FOWS were delighted to receive a £50 grant from Northern Rail this week towards further gardening improvements on the station. We plan to put the money toward finishing the far end of the border on the Manchester platform (left).

One step forward, one step back …

Later on the same day that FOWS planted the new flower bed on the Manchester platform, vandals attacked the bed on the Wigan platform, pulling out bedding flowers and ripping off much of the lavender bush.

FOWS are very grateful to Marion in the booking office for recovering the uprooted flowers and replanting them so that the damage was mainly repaired the next morning.

Second Flower Bed at Walkden

FOWS volunteers have planted up a second disused flower bed at Walkden station, this time on the Manchester-bound platform. The north-facing site has been planted with shade-dwelling shrubs and winter flowers purchased with a Salford City Council grant.For more pictures of the gardening project, please click here.

FOWS secure Gardening Grant

FOWS are delighted to have successfully applied for a Salford Council Community grant to fund gardening works on the platform. The first piece of work will see the planting of flowerbeds on both platforms alongside the retaining wall of the stairway (a disused flower bed is already present on the Wigan platform). If anyone has plants they would like to donate to the works, please email us at friends@walkdenstation.org.uk or leave your details with Marian in the ticket office - thanks !