Stowmarket community plant more than 600 shrubs and flowers on The Regal cinema verges

A community-driven project has seen more than 20 volunteers work together to plant approximately 600 plants near a town centre cinema.

The people of Stowmarket made the most of today’s sunshine by getting their hands dirty on the verges of The Regal cinema on Ipswich Street.

Green-fingered volunteers included Town Mayor Cllr Barry Salmon and consort Cllr Heather Salmon, Colin Lay, along with the gardening team from Red Gables, Stowmarket Meadlands Men’s Shed and garden designer Lisa Stevens.

Lisa said: “We’ve tried to do a mix of predominantly evergreen plants but we've added some geraniums which will add some colour.

“This is the worst it's ever going to look because we’re still a few months away before the growing season starts.

“So if it looks like this now - then, fingers crossed, it will all look so much nicer going forward.”

The new plant beds feature a range of native species including euonymus green spire hedging which is similar to box hedges.

A water system is being put in next week which will help the plants grow over the next few months which will be followed by bark putting down.

Cllr Barry Salmon said: “We’re putting in new plants as well as recycled some of the old ones which were here.

“Hopefully we will end up with a beautiful border which can actually be maintained because we’ve put in the work beforehand to keep it nicely irrigated.

“The really nice thing about this is how we’ve got groups and volunteers from all over Stowmarket working together to get it done.”