It’s our own arboretum!
RESIDENTS in Sneinton have shared their hopes to turn a hidden street into a “little arboretum”.
The hidden section of Lees Hill has dozens of plants covering the pavement and walls.
Flowers and succulents are put out alongside the walls of the terraced houses, transforming the road into a hidden arboretum in the heart of the community.
Kathryn Cooper, an artist and gardener living in Lees Hill, is probably one of the most prolific plant-owners in Sneinton, with an impressive collection.
The 41-year-old chuckled and said: “I asked my neighbours if I could put some next to their doors because I have too many.
“I started with just a few at the start of the pandemic, but most of them were kept in the house or the small garden at the back.
“But then I started to put some outside – it just looks beautiful.” Ms Cooper, a mother of two, added: “I think the rest of the neighbours just copied one another – hopefully more people will join us.
“And hopefully we will see even more plants next summer – like a little arboretum.” What started just as a hobby during lockdown has now evolved into a big passion for gardening, she said.
“I have taken over the park as well – and more people have helped me to plant new flowers in the park”, Ms Cooper added. “It just looks nice – it is uplifting. “And I am now a gardener as well as an artist.” Neighbour Bett Griffiths is believed to be the first resident to display her plants outside for everyone to admire them. Ms Griffiths, now 76 and retired, said it was a dramatic chapter of her life that got her into gardening – and she has not stopped since.
“I had brain surgery a long time ago”, she said.
“And one of my friends brought some plant pots – and I started to love the idea of having plants in my house.
“Then I got them outside because there were too many of them.”
She has lived in Lees Hill for more than 45 years and is known in the community for her beautiful-coloured flowers and meticulously maintained succulents.
She said: “My daughter told me that I have gone too far – but it makes me happy.
“And I had residents who told me that they wake up in the morning just to watch the flowers from their windows.”
She added: “Now I look after the flowers at the St Stephen’s Church in Sneinton, and I just love it.
“This street became better because of the people who look after their plants and care about the community here.”
I asked my neighbours if I could put some next to their doors because I have too many Kathryn Cooper