A Moray charity has built a network of vegetable and herb beds in order to encourage a community to grow their own produce.
Reap Scotland has been working in the South Lesmurdie area of Elgin with residents for the last year to spruce up the area.
Fruit bushes planted on Woodside Terrace provided their first harvest of red currants and white currants during the summer.
Now the group has been working with volunteers and locals to create fertile growing beds to nurture herbs and vegetables.
At the weekend seeds including parsley, lettuce, radish and spinach were laid down as part of the charity’s Grow Elgin project.
Outreach worker Barney Thompson explained the initiative was designed to encourage people to eat more local food.
He said: “The main thing we want to do is to reduce carbon emissions. One way of doing that is cutting the amount of miles that food travels.
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“We want to encourage people who want to grow their own food. It doesn’t require as much work as some might think. Winter is the best time to plant them.
“We had some requests from residents in the South Lesmurdie area of Elgin to get some stuff growing. The aim is to get it off the ground then let them take it on.”
Youngsters who live in the area were using power tools at Calcots Court on Saturday to help manufacture their own beds for herbs and vegetables.
It is hoped that next year a grassy patch on Woodside Terrace will be transformed into a forest garden with fruit trees.
Local resident Kitchy Whyte is hopeful the plant beds will bring the community closer together.
She said: “It would be good to generate some community spirit through it, something that everyone can take some pride in.
“It’s also an opportunity to reduce the isolation of some by getting them involved in the project and show the younger generation how to grow their own produce.”
