Unpaid work on gardens

A number of residential gardens across Perth and Kinross have been tidied up by those serving community payback orders.

Over the past month, those ordered by the courts to undertake unpaid work have been busy working to cut grass and tend to plants and flowers.

Five members of the community payback team spent a full day clearing an overgrown garden in Muirton’s Eriksay Place, including rearranging toys in the garden and making it accessible.

The resident has medical conditions which have reduced her mobility, and she wanted to be able to spent the summer months enjoying her garden with her granddaughter who she cares for, who has additional support needs.

Elsewhere, three people spent a day in Auchterarder clearing weeds and strimming grass. And others were in Abernethy to help remove ivy from a residential house.

Although ivy can look nice, it can damage the structure of a wall, and this resident had ivy crawling all the way to their roof.

Over 19 work hours were spent tackling the ivy, and the resident said they were “delighted” with the results.

Last weekend the community payback team then went out to Inchture to trim a hedge and clear a path, which all in all took 15 hours.

They have also been helping a new tenant in Perth’s Bracken Brae with their overgrown garden.

Five members of the community payback team spent 20 hours weeding and removing vegetation in preparation for sowing a lawn, which will be easier to maintain and make the garden nicer to enjoy.