Yahoo News 'The Hanging Gardens of Broughton': Community 'hidden gem' pub set to bloom into green haven
Volunteers for a pub say they are ‘excited and shocked’ to have won the RHS and MEN Pub Garden Competition.
The Star Inn, a cooperatively owned urban pub, opened in 1856 and has since been a cherished fixture in the Broughton neighbourhood, providing a welcoming hub for residents over the years.
However, in 2009, the pub faced an uncertain future when it was put up for sale. Fearing the loss of a vital community hub, locals came together to buy it, ensuring people still had a local pub to enjoy.
READ MORE: Tinie Tempah, robot dogs and an urban forest - inside first ever RHS gardening show in Manchester
Volunteer, Lorraine Gainsborough, said: “When the pub was first bought the locals came together to save the community - it started with 30 shareholders and now it has over 100, it’s nice that local people wanted to be part of it. We have a committee where we come together, have volunteer days, and get dozens of people coming in to help.”
Nestled on a cobbled back street in Broughton, The Star Inn is often regarded as a ‘hidden gem’ by locals. But while the pub’s suntrap garden is appreciated, volunteers say it needs some TLC.
However, navigating financial pressures and competing priorities for running a historic pub, coupled with customers vulnerable to the rising cost of living, has meant the committee has been unable to prioritise the garden.
As part of celebrating the new RHS Urban Show taking place this weekend (18 - 21 April), the MEN and the RHS teamed up to present a pub garden designed by Emma Tipping, a former RHS Young Designer of the Year contender and Chelsea Flower Show Gold Medal Winner.
The garden was put into a competition where local pubs could enter to have the chance of winning the planters.
“Everyone has worked really hard on the garden for years but we haven’t been able to do as much to it without the financial resources.
“We have a tiny pub so the garden doubles our space. We also live in an urban environment where lots of people don’t have gardens so it’s a lovely space for them to come and sit in the suntrap around the greenery,” explained Jane Dudley, another member of the pub's volunteer team.
Now, after winning the contest, the garden - which is planted in transportable planters and containers - will be delivered to The Star Inn at the end of the show.
"When we moved to Salford in the late 1970s, there were hundreds of pubs in our area," said Mick Smith, a long-time patron of The Star Inn.
"It was one of the things that attracted me to move here and now we find ourselves as one of only three pubs in the area. We are in a conservation area which blends in beautifully with the fact we now have the RHS looking at us.”
Mick added: “We can’t wait to see what it’ll look like when they have been installed. My favourite quote Jane said was the garden being referred to as the ’Hanging Gardens of Broughton’. We were shocked to hear we'd won but I’ve had nothing but smiles since finding out.”
Emma Tipping is showcasing her Pub Garden at the RHS Urban Show, where she announced The Star Inn as the winner on 18 April, during an event that welcomed the three finalists. The gardener has chosen low-maintenance plants to ensure the garden blossoms all-year-round throughout the seasons.
Talking about the vision for the pub garden at The Star Inn, Jane said: “Our vision is to create a space for all of our diverse community to enjoy. A place to come together, for a drink & a chat, hold events, where local talent can develop & a space for the local charities we support. We need the expertise and creative talent of the RHS to help us do this and we are so excited to see how the garden will look in the coming weeks.”
The first RHS Urban Show is taking place in the former railway Mayfield Depot and has been created to explore the growing urban gardening movement. It explores the secrets to growing happy houseplants, vertical structures for awkward urban spaces and explores garden vision for a greener city.
Emma Tipping said: “It was such a fun project to do - it was different being inside and not knowing what to expect when we got here. But it’s been great and so enjoyable to work with the RHS.
"People might not have their own garden but they will have a pub they can go to - I think it’s nice to be able to bring greenery to an existing urban space that a community can enjoy and benefit from.
“It was great to be involved in the judging process and it's really nice to know there is a demand for greenery with varied pubs - I’m looking forward to seeing the planters and seeing a completely new garden in The Star Inn.”
The RHS Urban Show is running from the 18th to 21st of April 2024 with two separate times of 10am to 2.30pm and 2.30pm to 7pm on Thursday to Saturday and 10 am- 5.30pm on Sunday. You can find details on tickets here.
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