A new sub-tropical hanging garden will be officially opened next month by the mayor of Saltash, Bob Austin. The garden, in Silver Street on Waterside, was completed just before Christmas and will be opened at noon on April 6. What was derelict land, alongside the Royal Albert Bridge, was converted last year into a spectacular small garden with the aid of a £9,800 grant from the Lottery Fund Awards for All. Financial assistance also came from Saltash Town Council, as well as the Saltash Waterside Residents Association (SWRA). Vice chair of SWRA, Joe Ellison, said: 'The site was a difficult one, filled with rubble from old cottages there, necessitating sleepers to shore it up and increasing the original cost of the project. 'We are grateful to the town council for their support, and to Caradon District Council, who are expected to transfer ownership to the town. As it is a south-facing slope, we have been able to plant palms, cordelines, agaves and even an olive tree to create an unusual garden. 'SWRA volunteers have helped clear the site and will be involved in mulching during the spring. Contractor Brad Hine has since worked with Tartendown Nursery to complete the project, of which everybody is enormously proud.'
