Ashley Ball gets a bit of jungle fever just a stone’s throw from the town centre...
AS soon as you step into Gareth Creech’s garden you are transported into a different world.
It suddenly becomes hard to believe that you are just minutes away from the centre of Barnsley.
Council worker Gareth, 40, admits he is not a keen flyer and that has certainly played a part in him bringing a taste of the tropics to his own home.
The jungle has been years in the making but only three years in situ as Gareth is incredibly living at his third house on the same street and has transported the plants now on two occasions.
This is definitely where roots have been firmly put down and his garden is a who’s who of exotic plants with a wonderful array of names.
They include trachycarpus fortunei (windmill palm), gunnera manicata (giant rhubarb), dicksonia antarctica (Australian tree fern), cordyline australis (cabbage tree), fatsia japonica (paper plant), musa basjoo (hardy banana), tetrapanax (T-Rex) and washingtonia robusta (Mexican fan palm).
There are also more familiar plants like ferns, bamboos and hostas.
The colour green is on show in every shade imaginable and this adds to the depth and lushness.
Gareth admits he is still honing his skills but is demonstrating the possibilities that go with thinking differently.
He also has a winter care plan for some of his prized possessions.
“I build a tipee over my banana using garden canes and fleece - this has worked wonders,” he said.
“I also wrap the trunk of the tree fern in fleece and cover the crown.
“Although the majority of the plants look like they belong in the Bahamas, they are totally fine with our long, cold, wet, miserable winters.
“When it snows you will find me knocking the snow off the palms so it doesn’t bend and break the fronds.”
Gardens in the 21st century are evolving faster than ever before and Gareth taps into an online community for tips on how to preserve and persevere with an unusual theme.
The tiki bar is a great vantage point to look upon the creation and ropes and the sound of running water add yet more authenticity to the look.
He added: “I’m no Monty Don, I have plenty of books, watch gardening shows and take advice from other people’s Instagram pages, and although I’ve had some great successes I’ve also made some silly mistakes, but you learn from that and for me it’s all part of the fun.”
The search for Barnsley’s Best Garden is sponsored by Sunflowers From The Hills.
The three community garden contenders will be featured in next week’s Chronicle.
Read more about our 'Barnsley's Best Garden' competition here: https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/article/28494/the-search-for-barnsleys-best-gardens-is-on
Meet all nine of our nominees and cast your vote :https://www.barnsleychronicle.com/article/29050/vote-for-the-best-garden-in-barnsley
Voteing is open from August 2 to August 11. You must be a registered user of our website in order to vote.
