A COUPLE of green-fingered volunteers have created a community garden at Birchwood Fire Station complete with a handmade fire engine planter.

Volunteers Craig Frost and Pat Jones have been working with firefighter Steven Haste over the last four years to clear waste ground behind the station and build the garden.

Each year they have harvested strawberries, pumpkins, broccoli and sweetcorn from the patch, which is also home to wildlife.

Steven, who has been a firefighter for 20 years, said: “I like looking forward to coming back on duty to see what has changed in the garden.

“It’s really improved our working environment, we are very lucky to have our volunteers and they have taken it to a different level.”

The garden has had a significant impact on the life of volunteer, Craig, 43, who suffers from severe epilepsy.

He said: “I started gardening at the age of 14 when I left school because of my epilepsy.

“It helps with my condition because it’s very therapeutic. My fits had been lasting longer but I’ve not had as many since I have been here.”

Craig built a miniature version of one of the station’s engines which was painted by Pat, a former designer, who has also planted flowers in decommissioned fireman’s helmets, boots and buckets.

Pat says the garden is used by children and community groups, who pick the fruit and vegetables.

She said: “The kids have great fun – they go in the compost heap and everything!

“Everybody is welcome to come and use the garden.”

She has created homes for squirrels, bats and birds and the volunteers are looking forward to introducing two hedgehogs from a sanctuary to the garden later this month.

There are cameras inside the bird boxes so that schoolchildren can watch chicks hatch.

Steven said: “When we first started looking at the cameras in the birdhouses we saw a nest with eggs in it and got quite excited. 

“Then we found out we had been tricked - the other watch had put a picture of a nest with eggs under the camera.”

Pat said the garden is a lot of fun but also great for the firefighters, who deserve somewhere peaceful to relax on stressful days.

If you have any tools or plants to donate, or you are interested in visiting the garden, call the fire station on 818379 or email Halton&WarringtonUnitaryAdminHub@cheshirefire.gov.uk.