TAUNTON and Wellington parks were designed as such.

Blake Gardens was a private garden and, with some extra land, was adapted to a public park, so it started with a disadvantage.

However, it does have some fine mature trees (see the new Bridgwater Town Tree Trail booklet).

Even now, in winter, it has some delightful shrubs such as Garrya elliptica with its silvery tassels backed by its dark leaves, Cornus mas with its twigs spangled with clusters of tiny yellow flowers, the superb scent of the Winter Sweet and one of the best berried and variegated hollies.

The lockdown for Covid-19 has given rise to greater appreciation of our parks and gardens and these places are now properly recognised as extremely valuable for our health, both physical and mental.

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Furthermore, if we had no plants producing oxygen, we would all slowly die.

I believe Blake Gardens are invaluable and improving them is highly commendable.

The Rose Garden is probably suffering from rose transplant disease and if so, the soil will all need removing and replacing.

This, and the work needed on trees and large shrubs, is not suitable for volunteers. It is heartwarming councillors are keen to improve our open spaces and maybe, when the major work is done, there will be a role for volunteers.

As to the Fore Street tubs, they were a nice change and very pretty at their best, but maybe their season is rather short and other innovations could be tried.

ROY CHEEK

Bridgwater