Milly's Fund - The Old Police House

By Penny Smith. This nostalgic garden is based around an old police station/house within a country setting in the 1950's.

There is a cottage-style front garden and allotment area with home-grown vegetables. The overall appearance of the garden will be charming and lived-in with a lean-to, washing line, old mangle, compost bins and a water butt.

The path is edged with fragrant sweet peas. The garden also includes an original Anderson Shelter, which the policeman is using as a bike store and potting area. The garden provides a haven for wildlife and planting includes many old favourites and native species. There is a gentle pastel colour scheme interspersed with shots of colour.

There is an astonishing number and variety of plants on show in this garden. Annuals/biennials include: Alyssum maritimum, Antirrhinum, Bellis perennis (daisy in meadow area), Calendula officinalis,
Centaura moschata,
Cleome, Clarkia amoena, Consolida ajacis,
Dianthus barbatus,
Heliotropium arborescens, Iberis umbellate, Ipomoea tricolor, Lunaria annua, Matthiola bicornis, Matthiola incana, Nigella damascena, Oenothera biennis, Reseda odorata, Scabiosa atropurpurea.

The heady scent of the garden is enhanced by the wide range of sweet peas, including: 'Painted Lady' - pink and white bicolour (shown to the left here), 'Henry Eckford' - bright orange, 'Dorothy Eckford' - white, 'Lord Nelson' - navy blue, 'King Edward VII' - crimson, and 'Mutucana' - blue violet-purple bicolour.

Herbaceous perennials include: Acanthus spinosus, Achillea ptarmica 'The Pearl', Achillea 'Taygetea', Achillea 'Lachsschonheit', Alstromeria ligtu hybrids, Alchemilla mollis, Anemone x hybrida 'Honorine Jobert', Aquilegia vulgaris, Alcea rosea, Anemone hupehensis, Anchusa azurea 'Loddon Royalist', Astrantia major/maxima, Campanula lactiflora/ persicifolia, Centranthus ruber, Coreopsis verticulata 'Moonbeam', Dahlia 'Majestic Kerkrade', Dahlia 'Hamari Bride', Delphinium 'Blue Nile', Delphinium 'Butterball', Dianthus 'Telstar', Dianthus 'Doris', Digitalis purpurea Excelsior Group, Erigeron karvinskianus, Eryngium giganteum 'Miss Wilmott's Ghost', Geranium 'Johnson's Blue', Geranium pratense 'Mrs Kendall Clarke', Gypsophila repens 'Dorothy Teacher', Hedera, Hesperis matronalis, Iris pallida, Lavandula angustifolia 'Munstead', Leucanthemum x superbum, Lupinus
Paeonia 'Sarah Bernhardt', Paeonia 'Charles White', Penstemon 'Alice Hindley', Pervoskia atriplicifolia
Phlox paniculata, Salvia viridis 'Bouquet', Santolina chamaecyparissus, Sedum spectabile 'Iceberg'
Tellima grandiflora and Verbena bonariensis.

Herbs include: Allium schoenoprasum, Angelica archangelica, Foeniculum vulgare, Oregano vulgare,
Rosmarinus officinalis, Salvia officinalis and Thymus; and vegetables include: Bean runner, Carrot, Curly kale, Leek, Lettuce, Onion, Ruby chard and Tomato.

Shrubs include: Brachyglottis Dunedin Group 'Sunshine', Buddleja crispa, Choisya ternata, Cistus
Cornus alba 'Sibirica', Hydrangea macrophylla 'Bouquet Rose'/'Blue Wave', Hydrangea quercifolia, Ilex aquifolium, Laurus nobilis, Lavatera olbia, Nandina domestica, Philadelphus 'Belle Etoile', Pittosporum, Ribes sanguinium, Deutzia x elegantissima, Rosa gallica 'Versicolor', Rosa 'Jacqueline du Pre', Rosa 'Buttercup', Rosa 'Mortimer Sackler', Sarcococca humulis/digyna, Viburnum tinus and Weigela

Climbers include: Clematis 'Elsa Spath', Clematis 'Etoile Violette', Clematis montana 'Broughton Star', Clematis tangutica, Hedera hibernica, Jasminum nudiflorum, Jasminum officinale, Lonicera japonica 'Halliana', Rosa 'Alexander Girault', Rosa 'Falstaff', Rosa 'Lady Hillingdon' and Rosa 'Climbing Iceberg' (shown to the right).

Trees include: Betula pendula, Corylus maxima 'Purpurea', Crataegus and Malus domestica

Milly's Fund was founded by Sally and Bob Dowler in October 2002 following the abduction and murder of their 13-year-old daughter Amanda 'Milly' Dowler. Milly's Fund aims to promote safety, in particular the safety of children and young people with the provision of personal safety resources to teachers, youth workers, children and young people.