Sudbury Station Garden Wins National Award

National Express East Anglia’s Sudbury station has won the Best Station Garden award at the 2008 Community Rail Awards. Station Adopter Darren Johnson, ably assisted by John Sayers and his team from Sudbury-in-Bloom, have created several gardens at the station over the last couple of years. The team faced strong competition for this prestigious award from station gardens across the country.

Over recent years the project at Sudbury station has become gradually more ambitious. It began modestly enough in 2006 with decorative planted tubs and a few flowers along the platform. Since then the displays have become more impressive: last year two extra wall containers were added, an area at the extreme end of platform was planted up and vines were encouraged to grow. This year a new 40ft long bed has been created, where once there was an uncared for hedge. Shrubs which had formed part of the hedge have been nurtured and begun to flourish and now they can be properly appreciated, forming an eye-catching backdrop to the flowerbed.

The aim of the project has been to make Sudbury station more attractive and welcoming to rail users and visitors, by creating gardens with all year round interest, colour in the summer and attractive plants to brighten up cold, bleak winter days. The displays feature perennial plants, such as Red Valerian and Dahlias, while in the spring Daffodils and Tulips are prevalent.

The gardens also have a wildlife focus, as many of the plants are butterfly friendly and many species of birds are attracted to the station through a seed dispensing programme. Bird boxes have also been provided, one of which is currently occupied by a pair of Blue Tits.

Bryan Harker Essex & South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership Officer commented:

‘I am delighted Darren has won this award, he thoroughly deserves it. Darren, together with John Sayers and his team from Sudbury in Bloom, have worked hard on the gardens at Sudbury station. The garden is full of plants to create year round interest and to encourage wildlife. They really have done a wonderful job. The fact that they faced such strong competition in this category makes it even more special.’

The project at Sudbury station has been funded by the Essex & South Suffolk Community Rail Partnership, Sudbury in Bloom, National Express East Anglia and Sudbury Town Council. Some of the plants were grown by John Sayers and others donated by the local community.

Petrina Murphy, Group Station Manager for National Express East Anglia said:

‘The station gardens do look lovely. The plants are flourishing and provide an eye catching display. The volunteers have been working really hard and in combining our efforts the station environment has been enhanced for all who pass through. I am delighted Darren and his team have received this recognition. They have really put Sudbury on the map.’