Public vegetable plot idea takes root in city

GREEN-FINGERED residents in a Leeds suburb have converted a council flower bed into a vegetable plot.

They have replaced the plants with edible offerings including strawberries, beetroot and arti-chokes as part of a national scheme to encourage people to grow edible plants in public spaces.

Locals are being urged to get involved and take what they need from the veg patch near Oakwood Clock, Oakwood, Leeds, while the gardening group behind the project has been educating people about how and when to harvest different fruit and vegetables.

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The group, which is part of REAP (Roundhay Environmental Action Project), was given permission to dig up Leeds City Council’s colourful floral display and instead cultivate plants including rhubarb, leeks, onions, chard, radish, lettuce, beans and various herbs.

As well as giving budding horticulturists the chance to get their hands dirty, the transformed vegetable patch is a growing example of what amateur gardeners can achieve in their own back yards. And the group has been providing locals with useful tips on having a go at growing their own produce.

The Oakwood “edible bed” is also a little taster of what people can expect from the second annual Roundhay Gardens Ideas Trail, organised by REAP.

Around 20 enthusiastic gardeners in Oakwood and Roundhay are opening their gardens to visitors so that they can share their ideas, experiences and love of growing.