When you are a tenant with just a communal area around your home it might be easier to leave it to Raven Housing Trust to mow the grass a few times a year and to just hope it stays clear of rubbish.
But two ladies on the Preston Estate, Diane, and Michelle, took matters into their own hands. Rather than putting up with a messy eyesore outside their homes, they have created an oasis of beauty and tranquillity.
Between them they have created a beautiful and tranquil environment for themselves and their neighbours .
If you have ever watched the TV show “Garden Rescue”, you will have seen Charlie Dimmock and the Rich Brothers transform a garden tip into a work of art. Diane and Michelle have done the same without the backing of professional gardeners or the budget of the BBC. Both keen gardeners, they have used their skills within a limited budget to create an oasis of beauty in an area that was previously little more than a rubbish heap.
This is what their garden area looked like before they started work in 2018:


And using their obvious gardening skills and their own money this is what they have created.


Diane says “We buy our plants in Epsom Market which is much cheaper than garden centres. We also look to share seeds and plants from friends and neighbours”. They also hope to be able to share their own plants with local gardeners in years to come. Again Diane says, “Gardening can be expensive if you rely on garden centres for your stock, but we’ve kept our costs down by shopping wisely and sharing with friends.

Congratulations to these two ladies who, through their hard work, determination
and expertise have created a garden worthy of professional gardeners.
