Kingussie needs green fingers!

The Gynack Gardens – for years the showpiece of Badenoch's capital – are undergoing a dramatic regeneration thanks to the town's community development company, with new market place, plaza and paths. Now it's time to plant them – but there's no full-time gardener.

A notice has gone up 'advertising' for volunteers and they will be needed for June, the prime planting time.

As one former part-time worker at the memorial gardens told the Strathy: "We're in the Cairngorms here and while that means we live in a beautiful place it also means we live in a pretty unforgiving one for flowers.

"The guys behind the regeneration of the gardens know that only decent growing time here is June to September, just before the autumns frost threaten."

For years the memorial gardens were celebrated for their beauty and colour in the summer but budget cut-backs meant fewer and fewer full-time specialist staff and now it's mainly down to members of the community to ensure the colourful display goes on.

Highland Council still provide plants but the planting will have to be done by locals in their town time.

Thus the sign planted in the central bed, to recruit for timely assistance, not just at the gardens but in other areas of the town needing greening:

"Volunteers are needed to plant out the Gynack Gardens and other planters around the town.

"This will be in the first and second week of June."

All those interested are asked to contact Janet Kinnaird at janetkinnaird@btinternet.com or by phone at 077881 88476.

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