Welcome to the Wildlife Wonder Garden

Scottish Water, and its alliance partner Caledonia Water Alliance (CWA), have created a special, low-maintenance wildlife garden, including flower beds, grassland, bird boxes and bug boxes.

The Wildlife Wonder Garden in Corselet Road was officially opened with the help of pupils from three schools who will maintain flowerbeds there.

The one-acre site of the garden was until recently used by Scottish Water and CWA to install sections of a new strategic trunk main.

It’s part of an ongoing £120m project to improve the water network which will benefit more than 200,000 people.

After sections of trunk main were installed and the land reinstated, Scottish Water and CWA recently transformed the site, on land owned by Glasgow City Council.

The Wildlife Wonder Garden was created using a large amount of recycled materials from the water mains project.

It includes flower planters and beds, bird boxes, bug boxes, picnic tables and benches.

Some of the flowerbeds to be maintained by the school pupils include special ‘sensory’ sections and plants such as lavender, bamboo and ivy.

This is reckoned set to benefit pupils at Hazelwood Primary School for children with sensory impairment in Dumbreck, and pupils at Darnley Primary School’s visual impairment unit (see pictures).

Jane McKenzie, Scottish Water’s regional community manager for the area, said: “Scottish Water’s ongoing project involved the installation of sections of a new trunk main here in Darnley.

“This work, by its very nature, was disruptive and the delivery of the Wildlife Wonder Garden is a way of Scottish Water, and our alliance partners CWA, saying ‘thank you’ to the local community for their patience and understanding.

“We hope the garden will be a legacy of this part of the project which can be enjoyed by all members of the community, young and old, for many years to come.”

Lindsey McBride, principal teacher at Darnley Primary School, said: “The garden is a wonderful amenity and we are very grateful to Scottish Water and CWA.

 “We know that there are huge benefits to providing opportunities to learn and play outside the traditional classroom environment and so having a local wildlife garden is simply fantastic. 

“Many children thrive when learning is taken outside so visiting the garden will have a positive impact on our children’s learning and their health and wellbeing.

“The children will enjoy the garden, and take pride in maintaining their flowerbeds, and I know it will be enjoyed by the whole community.”