The design aims to support nature recovery by “increasing biodiversity and creating wildlife habitats”

A corner of Central Park is set to receive a much-needed spruce-up thanks to fundraising by Friends of Central Park.

The makeover will see The Sunken Garden filled with scented plants and ornamental grasses to increase biodiversity and provide colour and interest all year round.

A spokesperson for the Friends of Central Park said the Sunken Garden was previously “well known for its colourful flower-beds, but which has been left bare for the past three years due to council cuts.”

One of the areas of the park planned for a "spruce-up"

placeholder image — One of the areas of the park planned for a "spruce-up"

The volunteer group recently campaigned for improvements to the park, and was successful in a bid for £3,100 from the Fund for Nature Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, to buy plants and seeds for the area.

"The group is now mobilising local community-members to get involved in the gardening work,” the spokesperson explained. “In particular, members of Peterborough Civic Society, young people from Thomas Deacon Academy school, and at least two local residents’ association, PSARA and Broadway Residents Association, have committed to the project.

“The Civic Society has approached a local landscape architect who has kindly offered gratis support in planning the gardening work.”

The design includes scented plants such as thyme and lavender, grasses and flowering perennials.

"The plan is for a year-round design that will give colour and form during the winter as well as the summer,” the spokesperson explained. “In line with the Fund for Nature’s aims, the Sunken Garden will promote best practice in nature recovery by increasing biodiversity and creating wildlife habitats.

Steve Harknett, secretary of Friends of Central Park, added: “Visitors to Central Park are always telling us that they’d like to see more flowers and colour in the Park. This project will deliver this in a sustainable way that is sensitive to the local environment. Also, we hope it will bring members of the public together to enjoy gardening and learn about nature.”

Work in the Sunken Garden is due to begin in the autumn. Peterborough City Council has said they will support the Friends group to obtain a licence for the works.

• To find out more about this project and other Friends of Central Park initiatives, email [email protected].