Children from Potters Gate Primary School and St Andrew’s Infants School worked together to plant dozens of tulip bulbs in the Haren Garden located in Farnham town centre on Monday (20 November).

Historically Farnham has links with Haren in Holland. Haren Garden, which is near the River Wey on South Street commemorates this relationship and a visit by 150 Haren citizens in 1950. The visit was made as part of International Goodwill Week.

The bulbs, which were recently planted by the children were donated by Dr Hans DuMoulin, a local historian and benefactor.

“We are very grateful to Dr DuMoulin for his kind donation. It’s gifts like this that enable us to accomplish so much each year in Farnham in Bloom. The added benefit of Dr DuMoulin’s involvement is that he was happy to share some of his passion for local history with our young gardeners,” says Councillor Stephen Hill, the Lead Member for Farnham Town Council.

A plaque dating back to 1950 in the garden, which is next to Farnham Town Council’s offices in South Street, marks an old friendship between the people of Haren in the Netherlands and Farnham. Dr DuMoulin explained how the links between the two towns came about and hopes to be able to continue to donate the tulip bulbs in future years.

The bulb planting is part of the early preparations for the 2018 Farnham in Bloom initiative which will see the town transformed with flowers, greenery and planting schemes over the spring and summer months.