A GARDEN festival is being held today with lots of free planting activities and crafts as people are being invited to 'Follow the Gourock Trail and Step into Spring'.

Greenock Telegraph:

Julie Anson, who works with the Inverclyde Community Food Network and is 'greening officer' for RIG Arts for the Drying Green at South West Library, has helped organise the event.

Speaking at partner garden Parklea in Port Glasgow, Julie said: "We running a trail in Gourock stopping at Shore Street gardens and the George Wylie garden, planting bulbs there, and there will be activities and with the RIG Arts Bus and live music.

The aim of the event is to promote the community gardens and encourage more people to come along and use them, enjoy some gardening, meet new people, get out into the fresh air and grow their own food.

Julie said: "We are trying to encourage more people to come along to all of our gardens, to participate and help grow our community gardens."

McGilp's Pop Up Shop on Gourock's Kempock Street has already offered free pots of daffodils and seeds, community gardens information and free hot food, tea and coffee.

The trail will start today at the Gourock Farmers Market and continue onto the Shore Street Garden and the Wylie Garden with bulb planting and free RIG Arts bus activities.

The event is being run by RIG Arts with the support of Inverclyde Community Food Network's community gardens, including Parklea Branching Out, Belville Community Garden Trust, Inverclyde Shed and Blooming Inverkip.

It runs from 10.30am until 2.30pm.

It has been funded by The Scottish Government's Greater Renfrewshire & Inverclyde LAG Fund.