Flowering plants stolen from Westbrook’s Sunken Gardens

Stripped flowerbed Photo SGS

Plants have been swiped from the Sunken Gardens in Westbrook.

Hellebore, Erysimum Bowles Mauve, tulips and rosemary, which were all in flower, have disappeared over the last week.

Sunken Garden Society volunteer group founder Peter Hasted said: “They have disappeared. All of the ones that have gone had been donated to the garden by the community or the Bumble Bee Conservation Trust.

“They are all in flower at the moment and were looking really good before they vanished, I’m guessing they looked too good and an opportunist pilfered them.

“There was a mention that it was a fox or wildlife, but they would have left the plants somewhere in the area.

“Luckily the society is not going to let this get us down and we will be replanting the garden.”

Sunken Garden crocus planting last year Photo Carl Hudson

The SGS volunteers have been working to restore the gardens since 2017 after Pete, a coastal warden, set up the group.

Plans include restoring the path network to allow access for wheelchair users and extensive shrub restoration.

Last month tree planting took place at the site as part of the part of the  Isle of Thanet Trees and Woods Initiative (ITTWI)  which successfully secured £525,000 from the Urban Tree Challenge,

Sunken Garden volunteers and fellow ITTWI helpers planted six trees specially chosen to withstand the coastal winds.

Find the group on facebook here  

5 Comments

  1. That will be very disheartening to all those who work hard to improve the gardens for all the public to enjoy. I wouldn’t have thought locals would feel the need to steal plants so must imagine it would be someone with transport. Hopefully the trees are still in place.
    I think someone in an earlier comment when the planting was taking place mentioned about thieves or vandals. It’s dispicable what happens in Thanet at times, such a shame.

  2. There is a covert cctv in that area so hopefully that will expose the low life who sunk lower than the sunken garden to steal the plants.

    • Was this on Friday? We saw a guy acting very suspiciously, acting as a look-out, there on Friday.

  3. What with an idiot putting holes in much needed Ambulances, people spitting and coughing in peoples direction, and then this plus various other scummy things in and around Thanet, makes me think what a bunch of idiots we have living here, ashamed to say I live in Thanet.

  4. Don’t be ashamed of Thanet. There are people like this everywhere and always have been. No doubt cavemen were complaining about antisocial prats in that cave down the hill.

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