By Jim Corah
Spring in Kirkstall is often marked by the return of volunteer gardeners to the Drink and Be Grateful Fountain Garden, opposite Kirkstall Leisure Centre.
Established in 2012 to care and tender for the once overgrown garden in Kirkstall district centre, 2026 sees a renewed attention to making Kirkstall blooming marvellous with an added community power.
This Spring saw Kirkstall in Bloom host gardening sessions, with the much-appreciated Drink and Be Grateful Fountain Garden weeded and its bulbs cared for.
Over on the Sculpture Mound the litter and weeds were cleared out. The Mound has unfairly received criticism for its appearance though this year it has seen an explosion of daffodils, tulips and dandelions. Volunteers are hoping that orchids return again.
Kirkstall in Bloom would not be able to keep gardening if it wasn’t for the dedication of its volunteers.
Starting the year strongly with extra special promotional posters, three new volunteers and one much appreciated returning volunteer helped tend the garden on Saturday 18 April 2026.
Aiming to be an inclusion and welcoming organisation where volunteering should be fun, Kirkstall in Bloom value enthusiasm over experience, community cohesion over littering and vandalism.
The next gardening sessions will be Saturday, 30 May 2026 and Saturday, 27 June 2026. All of the Kirkstall In Bloom events can be found on Facebook and on the noticeboard at the Drink and Be Grateful Fountain Garden.
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