Gangs of green fingered ladies and gents are silently, tirelessly and often without much in the way of recognition, brightening our villages with colourful displays of spring flowers. We thought it was time to give some credit to these galloping gardeners, so the Advertizer caught up with Douglas McNicol of Brighter Bridge of Weir, Marie Richardson of Bee Happy Houston and Peter McKerrel of Colourful Kilmacolm to ask these busy bees some questions:
Which displays or projects are you most proud of that Colourful Kilmacolm (CK) have worked on?
The one Colourful Kilmacolm project that has made the greatest difference to the appearance of the village centre is probably our garden on the steep embankment at Carriages. Ten years ago it was almost bare, save for a few woody bushes and rather a lot of rubbish, but our enthusiastic volunteers soon cleared the site and made a colourful garden, using surplus plants donated by our members.
What plans does CK have for the upcoming year?
We are always open to suggestions of sites for other planters. If anyone has a suitable site near them and would be willing to water and deadhead, we could supply the planter, compost and plants. We are always looking for more (slightly younger!) helpers. There is no regular time slot and so you are not bound to a particular time. See below for contact details.
Where can you view some of Brighter Bridge of Weir displays, and where do you get your plants?
Brighter Bridge of Weir has features throughout the village, from free-standing street planters, tubs, barrier- and post-baskets, to open spaces. There is a small, raised bed beneath the ‘Welcome to Bridge of Weir’ sign opposite Burndale Kitchens on Johnstone Road, and a street planter opposite the park on Houston Road. In between are almost 100 planters and several feature gardens, such as the Woodland Garden opposite Livery Walk, Torr Road Garden, and the Heritage Garden between the Co-op and the new Home Hardware store. Whenever possible we source our plants from locally-based suppliers.
What type of projects does Bee Happy Houston carry out?
Our gardeners look after over 20 beds, 50 planters, wildflower and bulb areas, a small orchard and lots of planted trees. After working hard each week we head to the Fox and Hounds for refreshments. Litter picking and Foodbank collections are also organised by the group.
What is the best thing about being in Bee Happy Houston?
The best thing about the group is the opportunity to meet like minded people while being outside and improving the local environment. We have all made great friends in our community. We are always very welcoming to new members!
These groups are always on the lookout for more members. If you fancy giving up some of your free time to brighten up your village then please get in touch with one of the contacts below:
Colourful Kilmacolm: Peter: 01505 872448 Liz: 07963 973031
Brighter Bridge of Weir: www.brighterbridgeofweir.org
https://www.facebook.com/brighterbridgeofweir
e: info@brighterbridgeofweir.org
Bee Happy Houston: Turn up 10am Thursday mornings opposite cemetery gates
via Facebook: Bee Happy Houston
e: beehappyhouston@outlook.com
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