Green-fingered campaigners are aiming to breath fresh life into a neglected corner of a Moray town centre.
Weeds had claimed the flower beds in Buckie’s Cluny Square – smothering them under about 3ft of plants.
Volunteers have spent the last two months cutting away the unsightly mess in order to clear the way to bring colour to the town centre.
And now it is hoped that next year flowers will turn the corner of the square into a popular place for locals to relax.
Margaret Jamieson, who has spearheaded the Friends of Buckie Square Memorial group (Fobs), was inspired to act after hearing constant complaints from residents about the state of the abandoned beds.
She said: “There was a lot of negativity about them so I thought it was about time somebody did something – we’ve got a good group of volunteers now.
“It will be good to regenerate the town centre a bit by bringing colour and community spirit. Hopefully it will inspire others to run their own projects too.
“The most important thing for us is for it to be sustainable. There’s no use us doing it for a year, it has to carry on from that.”
The Fobs team have been supported by the Buckie Buddies group throughout the time they have been clearing the beds. Talks have already begun about the possibility of benches being brought to allow people to enjoy the improvements.
Meanwhile, P7 pupils from Millbank Primary School will lend their own assistance to the project by planting their own flowers.
It is hoped that the corner of the square will be looking its best in time for the Remembrance Sunday services in November.
Buckie councillor Sonya Warren said: “All of the volunteers have done a fantastic job. It was attracting a lot of negativity so it’s good to see it turned into something positive.”
Buckie councillor Gordon Cowie, a bricklayer by trade, has supported the cause by carrying out repairs to the flower beds.
He added: “It’s good to see people stepping up to improve their community. It’s no use people talking about it and not doing anything. I was happy to help them.”
