A Co Down community garden is celebrating almost a year of giving people the chance to try their hand at growing.
Saintfield Community Garden opened in June of last year and has evolved into a thriving system at the back of the Community Centre.
Lawrence Murphy applied for various grants and once they came through, set about getting the space cleared and planters built for the garden.
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"Some of us are doing our horticulture, and then others have been gardeners a long time and have been gardening at home," he said.
"It's just whatever people can do and what they want to do, it's great to run a thing like that.
"The main problem is trying to get people together at the same time, so getting a watering rota and our planting scheme done and things in the ground is tricky, but we're hoping in the future people will learn about the planting year.
"I know the local Cubs and Scouts are coming down to the garden soon and also we can get involved in the wider Saintfield community too."
He said the garden's site, next door to a proposed big development for the village, meant the garden could keep growing.
"There may be a park going next door so there's great potential in Saintfield, it does Ulster in Bloom too, so there's fantastic potential to get people involved," he added.
"The environment, nature, biodiversity, being sustainable, these are things we can really get people involved with.
"We have a rainwater harvesting tank here too so we're not using any mains water, electricity or anything so it's a fantastic opportunity."
The garden is run without any chemicals going into anything that is grown and Oonah Stringer, who helps at the plot, said it is a fantastic resource.
"A lot of people have said it's really helpful for your mental health," she said.
"Sometimes you're here by yourself, sometimes there's a lot of us down here and it's just really fun.
"No matter if whatever you're planting grows or not, you learn and you know more for the next time you land down.
"There was a poll for what people wanted to see in Saintfield and a community garden was top of the list and Lawrence just made that happen in terms of securing grants and everything."
She said that they have tried to broaden the appeal of the garden as much as possible to ensure that everyone feels they can take part.
"We've got potatoes, some onions in the far bed, broad beans and strawberries, things that are quite easy to do," she said.
"Then against the far wall we have fruit bushes, like currants, blackberries, raspberries and herbs and things like that as well.
"We're also trialling some cut flowers this year in the poly-tunnel and some things that need a wee bit more protection, like squashes, cucumbers and tomatoes.
"So hopefully with that diverse set of things we're growing, we can attract a broad section of people down."
She said the focus is as much on the community aspect as the garden aspect.
"You could make a flower arrangement, you could grow something that you've never grown before, and it doesn't matter if you've not a notion about gardening or if you've been doing it all your life," she said.
"There's always someone here that can help and we have a WhatsApp group where people can ask questions and that."
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