Dodbrooke Parish Hall was recently crowded with visitors from a whole range of Kingsbridge Community Groups, celebrating the work and opportunities provided by the Community Garden in Fore Street.

Earlier in the year both the Kingsbridge and South Hams Art Club and the Kingsbridge and District Camera Club had visited the garden to sketch or photograph the plants and wildlife to be found there on a summer’s evening.

The imaginative and colourful results were on display in an Exhibition hosted by the Community Garden and Dodbrooke Church, and provided a showcase and conversation points for other groups, which included members Kingsbridge in Bloom, Kingsbridge Gardening Club and the church community itself.

There were other pictorial areas of interest to be shared.

Images and information on a a variety of insect visitors to the Community Garden during the summer had been prepared by James Clarke, a gardening volunteer and expert entomologist.

His sightings had included the dangerous looking Dance Fly ( Emptis livida) and the Four-spotted Footman (Lithosia quatra), a more attractive lichen-feeding caterpillar.

Another display featured wild flowers, from the Swiss Alps, which had been found by other members, while on holiday, in the district of Valais, close to Mont Blanc and Chamonix.

Unusual species, such as the giant Brown Gentian (Gentiana purpurea) and the Chamois Ragwort, (Senecio doronicum ), not a bit like our ownRagwort, attracted particular attention from the gardeners and botanical enthusiasts.

Visitors were invited to ‘Reach for the Stars’ and accept a willow star in return for small donations placed on a starlit skyscape.

This raised an extra £95 for the campaign.

The Community Garden Trustees were delighted that the event raised over £250.00 for the funds, but as the chairman, Chris Stephens remarked: “An even greater delight was to see the Hall full of such a wide range of local people, all coming together to support one anothers’ interests and achievements”.