A WILLOW artist has made a tree-mendous improvement to an award-winning school garden.

Miss Cherry Chung, from Manchester, worked closely with Mr John Tyldesley, a gardening teacher to transform the sensory garden at Elms Bank High School in Whitefield.

With help from the school's gardening group, who look after the garden, Miss Chung (27) created elaborate structures from willow trees, including a winding-tunnel entrance to the garden, a shelter for children in wheelchairs, a boat, a wig-wam and a wave.

It took 10 days to complete and was ready when the rest of the children returned from their Easter holidays.

The school received a £2,000 grant from the Pilsworth Environmental Trust to plant fruit trees, form a vegetable garden and to create the weaved wonders. Miss Chung, who met Mr Tyldesley (58) at a garden centre when he was buying some bird boxes for the garden, said: "I had a couple of meetings with John and got some ideas. Some of the things in the garden came later on and we developed it as we went along."

The garden is designed to stimulate the schoolchildren. It has many objects to touch and smell.

Mr Tyldesley said: "We wanted to develop the sensory aspect of the area."

The garden was born two years ago and won Bury Council's Mayor Trophy for Sensory Gardens in 1997.

The school is hoping to win the award again this year.

Ms Lynn Lines, the school headteacher, said: "It was great to see the children enjoying themselves and working so hard. All the staff are thrilled with the scheme."

Our picture shows pupil Ka Ling Tam (13) sheltering from the sun in Cherry Chung's creation.

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