Residents in Chester recently celebrated the start of British summer time in the run up to National Gardening Week with their first Growing Spaces meeting of the year.

The Growing Spaces project, delivered by a partnership between Sanctuary Housing, Sainsbury’s Family Trust and Hoole Allotment and Garden Association (HAGA), makes use of former garage sites and turns them into viable and sustainable growing spaces.

Weston Grove in Upton is the first of four unused garage spaces in Chester to undergo a super-sized grow-bag makeover. More than 30 people so far have signed up to take part in the Weston Grove initiative.

Families are being encouraged to join the Growing Spaces scheme, which is supported by HAGA experts, to develop horticultural knowledge and skills, enabling residents to undertake the entire growing process from ‘seed to plate.’

A series of seed-planting workshops, social meet-ups and work parties will be taking place throughout the year.

Sue Perry, CDHT Growing Spaces co-ordinator, said: “The Growing Spaces project encourages complete novices as well as green-fingered experts to get involved and enjoy gardening helping to develop their very own neighbourhood green space.

“We are very pleased to be able to support National Gardening Week, which has grown into the country’s biggest celebration of gardening.”

To find out more about the Growing Spaces projects or to get involved with the project on the next site at Queen’s Road, Vicars Cross, contact Sanctuary Housing Growing Spaces co-ordinator sue.perry@sanctuary-housing.co.uk or call 01244 305406.