Carnoustie community garden members have been “scunnered” by vandalism to the project which has proved a lockdown lifeline for participants.
Polytunnels at the town’s Food is Free project were torn by what is believed to have been young vandals who also destroyed plants during an impromptu party in the garden.
The incident at the end of last week is the latest in a series of vandalisms there but those involved with the project say they will not allow it to detract from the continued success it has proved itself to be during the pandemic.
The Food is Free scheme on Panmure Industrial estate is part of a movement which originally began in Texas but has grown to include communities around the globe, which takes pieces of ground and turns them into gardens producing free harvests for everyone.
Carnoustie project founder Libby Mcainsh said: “This is our fifth year and we had all sorts of plans to celebrate the anniversary which we had to drop but we have managed to keep things going pretty well.
“We have had damage before so it’s just a bit of a scunner that this has happened.
“We’ll repair the polytunnel, but it just means that the integrity of the structure isn’t as good.”
Experimental species including luffa gourd plants, which are used for loofah sponges, were also growing in the polytunnel and might not survive the vandals’ actions.
“It’s disappointing, but we don’t want that to overshadow the garden’s success and it has been great to see people here who have not been to the garden before,” added Libby.
“We have a core group of around a dozen people and we have a watering rota, so some people have been coming up to do that as part of their daily exercise.
“Normally we would put produce on trays around the town, but we haven’t been able to do that and instead have been putting it out on tables for people to pick up as they pass by.”
She added: “We also got a lot of flower seeds this year and decided to grow them to give away. Quite a lot of people have been doing more garden during this and it has been such a great spell for them to do that.”
