Stations across Essex will be hosting their ‘Open Gardens’ event, starting next week. This annual event was a big hit last year, highlighting all the work that station adopters do.

The station volunteers and the Essex and South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership will be putting their gardens on display beginning on the 22nd May, at Great Bentley station, an accredited station.

This start date occurs at the same time as National Community Rail Week, which highlights what can happen when local communities and the railways work together.

From 10:30 am until 12:30 pm, station adopters will be at the station to show people around the garden and highlight its benefits.

Not only do the gardens make stations more attractive to human visitors, but the gardens also provide wildlife with new habitat and food for pollinators.

Some of the gardens over Greater Anglia’s network have been developed over many years, with an increasing number of new additions. These gardens are a refuge for many important and at-risk wildlife populations.

The gardens have been assessed by ecologists and have been recognised as a ‘green corridor’ filled with native flora and fauna, making a wildlife haven.

Greater Anglia has given 33 stations their ‘Greater Anglia Wildlife Friendly Stations Accreditation Scheme’, with more still to come. this

There will be monthly Open Gardens which will take place on the 24th June at Burnham on Crouch, 17th July at Hockley, 20th August at Chappel & Wakes Colne, and 27th September at Harwich Town.

“We hope our Open Gardens events will attract lots of people to come out and see the amazing things that are being done to keep their local rail stations looking attractive and supporting wildlife.

“I hope it will encourage people to take the opportunity to try a trip by train through our beautiful Essex countryside for a fun and memorable day out.”

Jayne Sumner, Essex & South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership Engagement Manager