Beechgrove team digs in to help create garden for pet lovers

IT has been created as somewhere to go to reflect in peace and quiet. But while countless similar gardens have been planted in hospital grounds across the country, this project is slightly different - it is for owners of sick pets.

The new garden at the Royal (Dick) School of Veterinary Studies in Midlothian will feature on TV's The Beechgrove Garden next week.

Dozens of volunteers, including local children, have been working on the garden, located behind Edinburgh University's Hospital For Small Animals, over the last four months.

The 2.5-acre site at Easter Bush is one of the largest community gardens to appear on the programme.

The Beechgrove team, including Jim McColl were busy helping with the final stages of the garden yesterday.

Mr McColl said: "The primary purpose is for clients of the hospital who have pets that are not well, or who have had to have their pets put down, to have a place to sit and come to terms with it.

"It might have been a new veterinary student who put the pet down and that student has to learn to handle the emotions, so the garden is for vets too. They can come out of the hospital and round the corner into a lovely area looking right across to the Pentland Hills."

The colourful garden features a range of trees, shrubs and flowers, including primulas, purple loosestrife, blue poppies and flag irises, and has paths running throughout and a few benches to relax on.

Mr McColl said: "There is a great emphasis on plants that are quite natural, it's not like a public park like Princes Street Gardens or the Botanics, it has a wilder feel.

"It's absolutely tremendous because most of the volunteers who helped with the garden are not professional gardeners. The garden is really stunning."

The garden will be shown on BBC One Scotland next Wednesday at 7.30pm.