Hi, I am Angela Hayler, I was born in Liverpool and live in Halton.  My love of the outdoors is part of my DNA. As one of six children, the easiest way for mum to get some peace and quiet was to send us off to the local park with butties and told not to return until teatime.  Come rain, sunshine or snow we loved being outdoors.  Even the dogs knew the way, they would get the number 78, sit at the back of the bus and head off on adventures whist we were at school! 

Once we were old enough not to trash our family garden, Mum and Dad started to create a haven for wildlife that brimmed with plants for every season. I loved it. When I left home, it was some years before I had my own garden and I couldn’t wait to start experimenting. Over the years I have lived in many different places and enjoyed the challenge of a country garden, a beach garden and a mountain garden in Spain before returning to Cheshire in 2013. 

Following a cancer diagnosis, I gardened like crazy through my treatment and I found that immersing myself in nature massively helped my recovery and I decided to retire early at 53.  Lucky old me also found a group of like-minded ladies at a yoga for cancer class and when I put it to them that we start up a not very serious community garden and call it ‘The Wonky Garden’, they were in! 

Early 2018 we were asked to take on an unloved allotment space at Ditton Community Centre in Widnes.  On a grim February morning I popped in to see it and fell in love with the possibilities.  I responded to the request with a few conditions; ‘thanks for the invite, we would like the allotment, the children’s garden, the piece of land at the back, water, electric and a lock up, oh, and we can’t pay for it but we will create something extraordinary for all to enjoy!’. 

The Wonky Garden and Flower Garden before

Since that soggy morning, we have done exactly that, we’ve had many lucky breaks, from donations of materials to funding and lots of corporate volunteers to help with the heavy work.  During the lockdowns, nature blessed us with a sense of calm and purpose, Friendships deepened, and we accelerated our plans.  We experimented with growing edibles and cut flowers, all without chemicals, focusing firmly on the environment and wildlife, and gifting back to the community most of what we grew. We worked hard to get the gardens ready for re‑opening and welcomed new individuals and groups across our community. 

Apart from the greenhouses, workshop and potting shed, we have built everything ourselves including the allotment beds, shelters, workbenches and the obligatory hedgehog houses and bird boxes. Our space has expanded three times, enabling us to add a lovely entrance, double the allotment and add a multi-functional space with a huge workshop and greenhouse called ‘The Yard’ (with a ‘spare yard’ at the side, we can’t help it, we just seem to grow and grow).   

Building the garden with volunteers

Now a beautiful area, it has become a physical and mental health hub, brimming with plants, flowers, massive bug houses, compost areas, edibles and wildlife.  We have a few very simple but important rules; to support nature at every turn (low carbon practices and zero chemicals being absolute priorities) and to enjoy our work with volunteers, groups and individuals with the aim of bringing a smile to all of our days, whether through a volunteering activity or the act of gifting edibles, flowers or plants to our community. 

Five years on, we are a registered charity with myself, Sarah and Millie as Trustees.  We have an amazing group of 30+ volunteers aged 5 to 88. We decide openly and equally what we do and how, and don’t take things too seriously – if we don’t succeed, we try again, maybe we try three times but don’t worry if it fails. 

The Wonky Garden now

We’ve seen countless positive impacts on people’s mental health across all age groups and abilities, including those dealing with loneliness, bereavement, family suicide, additional needs and young carers, and have sent out hundreds of gifted bouquets as part of our ongoing Project Smile. Our efforts have been recognised both locally and nationally including first prize in the Cultivation Street UK Gardens for Better Health community gardens category; Outstanding Garden of Distinction by Britain In Bloom North West and a BBC Make a Difference Award.  Winning is not important, we participate to celebrate and encourage others to green their spaces and enjoy nature with their communities.   

Our gardens are open for all to enjoy, we support hundreds of sessions each year and this year we created a Community Growing Network (supporting other likeminded groups that want to green their space including a care home, school, college, local community housing group, child carers and shelter for victims of modern slavery).  We have open days with the National Garden Scheme (this year it’s 9th June and 14th July), we would love to see you on one of these days, come and chat about our work and support the NGS Charity Days (raising much needed funds for Macmillan Cancer Support, Marie Curie, Hospice UK and The Queen’s Nursing Institute). 

To stay up to date with The Wonky Garden and their future events, head over to their Facebook page - facebook.com/thewonkygarden