Landscaping students complete campus memorial garden

Landscaping students at Gower College Swansea have been putting the finishing touches to a very special memorial garden at the Tycoch Campus.

And thanks to the ongoing generous financial support of environmental charity Keep Wales Tidy and Welsh Government, the learners are now turning their attention to a second project that is very close to their hearts – a wellness sensory garden.

Horticulture and Landscaping lecturer Paul Bidder, says: “The students have a very long and challenging to-do list – which includes building paths, planting native hedges and constructing a pergola / seating area.

“In addition, a greenhouse will be built and the students will plant herbaceous borders and climbers. Most of these plants are beneficial to pollinators and the garden has been designed with biodiversity in mind.

“This is a very ambitious project that is expected to take up to five years to complete so this is a really long-term commitment from the College.”

In 2021, Gower College Swansea was one of the first colleges in the country to benefit from Keep Wales Tidy’s Local Places for Nature scheme which saw the students receiving free plants, tools and materials.

The College was successful in its bid for an initial Grant Package from Keep Wales Tidy, and now a second Development Package will ensure the ambitious plans for the campus grounds can move forward.

Gower College Swansea teaches landscaping and gardening skills to young people aged 14-16 who attend the campus on a placement basis from their schools. In addition, the College offers a full time Level 1 or Level 2 horticulture and landscaping course which is open to anybody from the age of 16 plus.

(Lead image: Gower College Swansea)