A green fingered Rutherglen charity is aiming to help people of all ages to grow their own produce.
And Grow 73 hopes to teach those taking part how to lead more sustainable lives and support local biodiversity.
The new community garden will feature a direct pathway for residents and staff from Rutherglen Residential and Nursing Care Home to Overtoun Park.
Both Grow 73 and the Advina-owned care home are working in partnership on the project.
A Grow 73 spokeswoman told Lanarkshire Live : “We approached the care home before COVID about the possibility of the garden if we got the land.
“At the time we had done a few projects, so we already had a relationship with Advina and we had an agreement of an idea to try to put a gate between the care home.”
“We only just revived this relationship recently as we got the garden and we’re looking into the development and hope to have our first growing season this year.
“This continues with our theme of intergenerational with the care home working with local schools and children in the garden.”
The care home is excited to be part of the new project.
Home manager Mark Hague told us : “We’re incredibly excited to be working with the community on this garden project and to build a pathway to the garden for residents.
“The garden presents so many opportunities for the residents to grow produce, make new friends, and be part of the local community.
“The aim is to create a section of the garden where residents will grow their own vegetables to be used in meals at our Home, which is good for them and the environment.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity for everyone, and we can’t wait to get started.”
One of the current challenges for the care home is access to the park as it’s a long road to get there, so the community access and space to the garden will be much easier for residents and staff to get to.
The home is also working with Cycling Without Age Scotland to fundraise for e-pedalled Trishaw that are specially adapted to safely carry elderly passengers to and from new community garden.
The spokesperson for Grow 73 added: “We’re hoping to develop it into three areas.
"For example, a secret garden, and one with biodiversity, another area is going to convert into polytunnels for growing all year round with ponds with multifunction use. We also would like a woodland area for children.
“If we learned anything through COVID was that outdoor space is crucial for maintaining social activities.”
The new community garden could also be used for weddings, concerts or story-telling.
The garden will take a few years to be fully complete but work on the development has already started.
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