Garden dedicated to heroes restored to former glory

A garden dedicated to those who have dedicated their lives to serving the country has been restored to its former glory.

The secret garden sits behind the walls of Devonport Naval Base and was officially created on September 18th.

Naval Base Commander Commodore Ian Shipperley officially opened the garden in a ceremony led by Jock Easton, head of Help for Heroes recovery West.

A cherry tree was planted to mark the occasion.

Speaking about the opening of the gardens, Commodore Shipperley said in an interview published on the Help for Heroes website: “The garden is looking unbelievable compared with even nine months ago when it was just a fallow old garden that had not been tended properly for many years. 

"To see it now in all its glory with the wildflowers, the bees buzzing around, the vegetables growing and the new buildings is a joy to behold. I’m very glad we’ve been able to do something for our wounded, injured and sick to help in their recovery."

One of the men behind the redeveloped garden is veteran Royal Marine Commando Martin Payne.

He had previously trained in the military before he was injured. He suffered a traumatic brain injury as well as damage to his neck, shoulder, ribs, lower back and pelvis in 2009 after his car drove over an explosive device.

However, the redevelopment of the garden has not been completed yet. Although the first phase is finished, phase two and three over the coming year will see further development of certain areas of the garden as well as the planning and delivery of activities aimed at helping to facilitate the recovery of soldiers.

Ian Merchant, head of estates at the Eden Project, attended the opening and previously worked within the Naval Base as part of the Royal Navy.

He said: "I remember the base when it was in its heyday in the late 1970s when they had full time gardeners here and it was something special then, but this is really something special now and it’s just fantastic. It’s nice to see it regenerated. The layout of the place and the potential is fantastic.

"It’s all freshly planted but you can see that it’s going to be great – allotments off to one side, the thought that’s gone into the layout, the pavilion, sheds and beehives make it a lovely place. The wildflower area with the poppies is a very peaceful place to sit. We have something similar at the Eden Project, which looks after people with mental health issues and helps them rehabilitate and come to peace with themselves, feel valued have a purpose and contribute to the project itself and give them the self-confidence to go on."