Community garden plan
ENVIRONMENTAL Group Transition Mearns (TraM) are planning to create a community garden in Laurencekirk's Memorial Park.
Group spokesperson Myra Graham attended Monday's meeting of Mearns Community Council to explain their garden proposals and to enlist support.
She said that living in a rural area like the Mearns it was easy to ignore the problems elsewhere, but they will also have an impact on our lives.
The aim of TraM was to help people be self-sufficient and sustainable and re-localise food production.
"Landscape services have agreed to give us the long-term use of beds in the Memorial Park, in the area that is already laid out as a garden and if we get the approval of everyone we could start in the spring.
"As well as being a functional community garden it will be a teaching garden based on an organic model. We will hold workshops and have information plaques.
"We have a five year development plan for the garden. We would like to involve the schools and the Mearns Healthy Living Network is interested in getting involved as well."
Council member Jim Stuart questioned who would support the project in view of the number of gardens in the village already being turned into car parking areas.
He also pointed out that the gardens were left as a bequest to Laurencekirk from a Miss Cameron, something that had been lost sight of and that money had been left for their upkeep.
Councillor George Carr raised the question of the protection of the garden, but Myra said there was too much emphasis on thinking of what might happen.
She showed pictures of a similar garden in downtown Toronto which she says is never vandalised.
"A community garden would bring people together and show that people are part of the community."
Alan Mowat said he agreed in principle with the idea of a garden, but careful consideration should be given as to what is grown. He said there would be no point in growing potatoes when so many potatoes are grown locally.
Chairman David Nelson said he applauded TraM for their enthusiasm and said they should be encouraged.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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