A team of volunteers is “digging for victory” with a community garden which is bringing benefits to the people of Angus.
The Brechin Community Garden has transformed an overgrown site on Montrose Street and created an oasis on a corner plot which used to house a number of allotments.
The 10-strong group took over the site in October 2014 and since then has transformed it into a major production unit with fruit, vegetable and flower plants which are now helping to feed the local community.
Pupils at the nearby Andover nursery are regular visitors to tend their own plots, with members of the public donating seeds, tools and slabs to enable the project to flourish.
Volunteer Jess Christie explained the benefits the garden has brought to all involved.
She said: “The garden is a great way for volunteers to come together and get out in the fresh air.
“It is very sociable. By involving the children from the nursery we are teaching them where their food comes from. The children enjoy planting the seeds and nurturing the plants.”
The plot features a number of greenhouses where everything from broccoli and beetroot to potatoes and peppers are sown and brought on.
The group is awaiting the delivery of a log cabin donated by the NHS Trust which will be used as a meeting place, for educational visits and as a hub for the east end of town.
Volunteer Michael Forbes, a grocer, spoke of how the community has embraced the project.
A growing awareness of “food miles” has increased the demand for vegetable plots, with more choosing to “grow their own.”
He said: “We haven’t had to buy anything for the garden.
“We leave out plants for people to collect and run an ‘honesty box’ where they leave a donation. Our biggest outlay is compost so the money donated goes towards that.
“We are helping families grow their own food and are giving something back to the community from what was an overgrown piece of land.”
The group has also taken over other neglected sites along Montrose Street.
They have planted their own orchard opposite the community garden, and have created a stunning memorial garden at Dall’s Lane for those who lost their lives in the Great War.
