A garden created by 24 students from Wilmslow High School for the RHS Tatton Flower Show has been installed at Handforth Station.
The 'Quarry Bank Mill' garden was awarded 'Highly Commended' at the annual show in July.
Several members of staff from Cheshire East Youth Support Service were joined by representatives from Wilmslow Town Council, Handforth Parish Council, Friends of Handforth Station, SK9 Young People's group, Cheshire East Council and Network Rail for the official launch of the new garden on Tuesday, 1st September.
Mike Marshall, from Cheshire East Youth Support Service, said "We thought it would be a good idea to give something back and give an opportunity for people to see the garden.
"A lot of the students will be coming up and down the platform, using the trains for schools so they will get the opportunity to see it."
Joe McBride said "It's really lovely to see the garden back in the community and to let everybody who couldn't make it to Tatton have the opportunity to see it."
Joe added "I'd like to say a massive thank you to staff at Wilmslow High School, Cheshire East Youth Support Service, Wilmslow Town Council and Handforth Parish Council for funding it."
The theme of the school gardens this year was 'Industrial Heritage' so the students have based the 'Quarry Bank Mill' garden on the heritage of the five parishes. Amongst the features are the water wheel and Quarry Bank Mill in Styal, the World War One Prisoner of War Camp at Handforth, the Button Industry and Lindow Man of Wilmslow, the copper industry of Alderley Edge, and the link between Chorley and Alderley Edge which is connected by the railway heritage.
The students have created clay poppies, a painted backdrop, a moving water wheel, a mine cart, train tracks, a large button wheel, which acts as a centrepiece, and a Lindow Man made out of clay.
Due to health and safety issues the students were not allowed to install the garden at the station so they served refreshments, repainted the poppies and repaired any damaged elements whilst staff from Cheshire East Youth Support Service spent a day installing the garden.
Following the success of this year's show garden, Cheshire East Youth Support Service and SK9 Young People's group are certainly keen to produce another school garden for next year's RHS Tatton Flower Show.
Photo: (l-r) Joe McBride of SK9 Young People's group with Mike Bishop Mike Bishop, Chair of the Friends of Handforth Station.
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