Eyesore to spectacle: some surprising gems

Whether a bridge is famous or not, all serve a purpose, some of them an unusual and unexpected one.

The Bridge of Flowers in Shelburne Falls in Massachusetts, USA, is hardly known worldwide but is famous locally.

Paul and I came across it unexpectedly when we were visiting our son and his family. We were amazed at what the community had achieved and decided to write about it to inspire other groups to do something similar with disused facilities in their area.

This bridge was built in 1908 and designed to move factory workers and freight by trolley car from one side of the Deerfield River to the other. The company went bankrupt in 1927 and the bridge fell into disrepair. Because it carried water mains, it could not be demolished, which put the local community into a dilemma as to what to do with this eyesore.

A local lady, Antoinette Burnham, came up with the idea of transforming the bridge into a garden. Various organisations raised funds and the project began.

The bridge needed strengthening and then tons of soil, fertiliser and compost was laid on top. Then the planting began by volunteers.

A path runs the length of the bridge and garden beds on each side of this. It is a bit like walking along the plantings in a border garden – the taller plants at the back and the shorter ones in front.

There are many and varied flowers in bloom, the varieties dependent upon the season. Winter, however, is too cold, and the beds are rested then. There are also garden beds at each end of the bridge.

It seems just like you are in a beautiful garden, which, of course, you are, with the added bonus of seeing the river either side.

Horticulturalist volunteers staff the bridge daily to meet visitors and answer questions. These people also do the

ongoing maintenance, helped by donations collected from honesty tins at each end of the bridge.

Sometimes a surprising horticultural gem can be found when you least expect it.