Volunteers plant bulbs to beautify gardens (From The Wiltshire Gazette and Herald)

Volunteers plant bulbs to beautify gardens

Eleanor Thomas and Will Segerman, two of the volunteers who have been planting 1,000 daffodil bulbs in the grounds of the Cloister Gardens (17647/5)Flower power is due to take over Malmesbury in the Spring after 30 people planted 3,000 daffodil bulbs on Saturday.

Armed with spades and gloves, local people and town councillors spent two-and-half hours digging up the Cloister Gardens, near Malmesbury Abbey, to scatter the bulbs.

The project cost £80 and was funded from a £5,000 town council budget for community initiatives.

Town councillor John Lawton organised the event as a way of brightening up the Cloister Gardens.

Before coming to Malmesbury, he lived in St Albans for seven years, where he helped plant about 20,000 flowers.

He now hopes Malmesbury people will be so pleased with the colours of the daffodils next spring it will become an annual event.

Coun Lawton said: "Every spring we want to plant a different area. We will do it again next year. I was expecting to be at Cloister Gardens all day but we did it very quickly. After a few years it will look good."

He added that the town council is currently brainstorming ways of regenerating the Cloister Gardens over the next five to ten years. It is hoped they will have a plan ready before Christmas.

Malmesbury mayor Jackie Martin was one of six town councillors who participated in the event.

She said: "It was physical, but it was a nice community event. I would like to thank town councillor John Lawton for his determination and all the people who turned up."