The local garden on the Yeovil development is full of blooming flowers and fresh vegetables. It’s a favourite place where lots of residents enjoy spending their time and meeting other residents across the community.

Vyvyenne, our resident, reflected on the garden’s progress and the sense of community it brings. She said: “It’s evolved quite a lot in the last few years as more and more people come and sit here, including people who live in the flats who don’t have gardens.

“Socialised tension is reduced by being able to come here and make friends from sitting here – especially during covid. 

“We get more people come and help us and we have around six volunteers that come here… it’s a lovely garden.

“I recognise how important it is to make a community and have lots of people involved in it so we have made lots of friends.

“Gardening especially is great for your mental health because you can while away an hour thinking about nothing except plants, and personally because my husband is poorly, I spend a lot of time in the garden… I love it.”

She added: “Since 2016 we have always won something in Yeovil in Bloom, but over the last three years, we got the plaque for best overall community garden.

“In the last few years, it's always been the gold or the plaque, and we’ve won the inter neighbourhood award from the Royal Horticultural Society too.”

The community has also set out plans to inspire the younger generations as they are partnering with the local primary school to create a mural of ‘hands across the community’ with the school children.

Vyvyenne said: “We supply plants and they’ve supplied the sign, and we are planning to do a mural with hands to show the hands across the community to put up. 

“They are also going to display some of their artwork, and this is for reception and year one children and we are going to display it here for them.”

Shona Stone, LiveWest’s Community Connector for the area, said: “It’s great to see that an unusually shaped piece of land which didn't have much purpose before, being turned into a beautiful community garden the whole community can benefit from. 

“The hard work which the Wyndham Park community have put into this garden, shines through when you spend some time enjoying the space. It’s so lovely to see.”