In April 2023, Victoria Road, a shopping centre in Woolston, became the site of the first Wilder Southampton project. Although the existing flower beds were beneficial for birds and insects, they were seen as neglected by many in the community, including the business owners and their customers. This also led to them being littered and walked over.

Wilder Southampton officer, Jill Doubleday, started talking to locals about how to improve the beds by making them attractive to people as well as wildlife. She soon met Viv of Kookies Crafts, a very community-minded person who was keen to get involved. The bed outside Kookies was chosen and Southampton City Council gave permission it to be transformed by a small group  of volunteers. On planting day, they were joined by Duncan and his team from Plants for People, based at Mayfield Garden Centre, who also donated soil and plants. Herbs and crops such as potatoes, tomatoes and strawberries were planted, with flowers such as marigolds added for extra interest.

The event drew lots of positive comments and was captured in a sketch by Urban Sketcher Elwyn.

Following the planting, local artist Joanna Rose Tidey agreed to create a mural on the bottom panel of Kookies Crafts, and did this free of charge. Joanna is well known in the area for her native wildlife street art.  For Kookies, she focussed on pollinators, with a dragonfly included as they are Viv’s favourites!  Viv did a wonderful job of keeping the bed watered during the summer months.

Since that first event, there’s been no stopping the Victoria Road Gardeners!  They continue to engage with local businesses, and soon Vicky at the Pet Pad signed an agreement with the city council to maintain a second bed.  The gardeners then got to work and were careful to work around some of the useful plants that were already there, including a clump of nettles.  So far, the group are looking after five beds, one of which has been left in its ‘wilder’ state over winter, as it’s providing food and shelter for wildlife. During late summer, this one had a range of wildflowers blooming, including white campion, knapweed, common toadflax, common vetch, and yarrow. 

The group receive a lot of positive feedback about the time and effort they put in, and the fantastic results they get - showing that it is possible to please both people and other species!  The gardeners are great at explaining how this is achieved, whether this is at the garden, or through their regular column in a local free magazine, or on social media. They’ve also been growing their group, and now have a pool of around eight to ten volunteers.  And they couldn’t do it without the businesses nearby, who sign the agreement with the city council, keep an eye on the beds and remove litter, and are really crucial when it comes to watering during the drier months. It really is a great example of a community effort that enhances the area for everyone.

Find out more about Wilder Southampton