Natural Heritage funding plants seeds for workshops

Workshops are to be offered at the Royal Edinburgh Community Gardens this year thanks to funding from Scottish Natural Heritage.

Edinburgh Cyrenians, which runs the gardens, will offer classes to local residents, schools, community groups, charities, and patients at the hospital.

Michelle Woodall, of Carr-Gomm Scotland, one of the charities already using the gardens, said: "The feedback I've had has been incredibly positive - the group seems to have really felt part of the community here. I've been really impressed by how it's been facilitated - it's been run in such a way that the people I come with have really felt ownership of this place."

Workshops will include fruit tree pruning and grafting, the history of the old apple orchard on the site, the basics of permaculture, and introductions to organic gardening. A schedule of events can be found at www.recg.org.uk.