Our Work in the Community
At Blue Diamond, we share Octavia Hill’s ideals that open green spaces and gardens should be available to everyone. We understand that places where people can connect with nature and take time to recharge are an asset to any community.
Our collaboration with the National Trust and Ann-Marie Powell Gardening, to create the Octavia Hill Garden at Chelsea 2024, is not the only project we are involved in to provide green spaces for all.
We proudly support local communities in their efforts to create outside areas that benefit mental and physical health, wellbeing, education, the environment and nature. Our efforts in assisting the public are nationwide, as we have 44 garden centres spread throughout the country.
Many of our branch managers have reached out to local community groups to offer support and assistance when creating gardens and outside displays. Together, we have made significant changes within these communities, helping to transform the lives of so many.
Chenies Garden Centre
Chenies Garden Centre have a strong connection with Amersham Town Council and have supported 'Amersham in Bloom' with donations of plants for community gardens/displays and gift vouchers on many occasions since 2013.
Evesham Garden Centre
Evesham Garden Centre has donated to many local causes:
- Holy Redeemers School Pershore - Primroses for Mother’s Day.
- Bredon Hill School - donated bulbs for their 'peace and wellness garden' and a real Christmas tree.
- Onside Advocacy - Christmas Tree for an exhibition in Worcester Cathedral
- The Vale School - Gloves and plenty of compost.
- The Simon Demontfort School - Christmas Tree and lights.
- St Richard's School Evesham – donated hundreds of pounds worth of plants, tools, gloves, seeds, compost for their allotment garden to help educate children of all backgrounds to plant/harvest food.
Van Hage
Our Van Hage store has a very close partnership with Isabel Hospice. As well as hosting Tonnes Of Care, Lights of Love and donating Christmas Trees, Van Hage have also donated spring plants for the community garden at the In-Patient Unit, at Isabel Hospice, for patients and their families, as well as donating Christmas trees.
Van Hage have also supported many 'Ware In Bloom' community projects over the years, these include:
- Donating plants and compost to local schools, care homes and displays for many years; such as on the main bridge in Ware, which is very popular each summer.
- Providing guidance and support to help Ware in Bloom enter 'Anglia in Bloom' on many occasions, resulting in them winning various awards.
- Supplying Tulips, Salvias and Heucheras to fill the Neelakash bed on Viaduct Road, in 2022.
Harlow Garden Centre
In April 2023, volunteers from Harlow Garden Centre stepped in to restore a local charity allotment, which had been targeted by vandals.
Melbicks Garden Centre
Melbicks regularly donates to 'Coleshill in Bloom', which is a group of local residents, who plant up the nearby village. The centre also gave them donations for a Remembrance Day display outside of the local Morrisons.
Percy Thrower's Garden Centre
Percy Thrower's Garden Centre has donated seeds and fruit trees to the Shrewsbury's 'Street Allotment Project'. The project has brought the local community closer together and has grown into a town-wide, shining example of urban-growing.
The street allotment has enricjhed many residents lives, one example is every plot with street frontage has a ‘help yourself’ box where local people can collect any fruit and veg, they can make use of. Other produce is shared via food banks and Shrewsbury’s thriving Food Hub.
Fermoys Garden Centre
Our Fermoys Garden Centre has donated seeds and compost to the South Hams Children's Centre. These are being used in their new Thrive Sensory Garden at the Totnes family hub centre for the children and their families to enjoy.