Christmas came rather early this year for Darley Dale in Bloom! They were in the thick of removing summer bedding, weeding and cutting back, when Sarah Rivett [Community Development Officer for Darley Dale Town Council] gave them 7,000 purple crocus bulbs, donated by the Rotary Clubs of the Derbyshire Dales
The group were considered well placed to distribute these to the benefit of the community in Darley Dale. In addition to planting the bulbs throughout the Town in the beds and planters they tend all the year round, their volunteers have been planting hundreds on the grassy banks below the Whitworth Terrace where the crocuses should delight those sitting outside the café, or entering the Park from Station Road, for many years.
DDiB have donated the remainder to local organisations with whom they have partnership arrangements: St Helen’s Church where volunteers are planting them either side of the path to the main door into the church; Valley Lodge Care Home where the group are giving what support they can to a lively programme spear-headed by Carol Taylor of encouraging residents to improve their outdoor environment and enjoy planting and tending; Underhall Respite and Resource Centre for their front and back gardens; and volunteer ‘allotmenteers’ from St Elphin’s Park. In addition they have given more than 400 to Whitworth Hospital, which has enabled the group to establish a relationship with the gardeners there, so look out for the crocus near the main driveway entrance in the spring, and in the recently created Remembrance Garden beside the path from the car park towards Oker Ward!
The Rotary Clubs had been impressed that last year, when DDiB had only 200 crocus bulbs donated, the best use of these was made by a small group of St Elphin’s owners planting and tending them, and wrapping them and presenting them to elderly and less mobile people living there and living permanently at Underhall.
All this could not have done without the generous donation from the Rotary Clubs, who are to be congratulated for such a successful programme of raising funds to immunise children against polio throughout the world.
Sarah Rivett expects another donation of crocus bulbs next year, so if you would be interested in receiving some for a community-based planting and are prepared to plant them, please contact Sarah at Darley Dale Town Council.
Christmas will arrive in Darley Dale with the usual display of illuminations in David Thompson’s garden on the Parkway. This year all the money raised will be shared between Darley Dale in Bloom and the Derbyshire Federation for Mental Health – DDiB are very grateful to David for his generosity and will use their share to enhance the environment in Darley Dale.
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