Country File team make a beeline for Grow 73

A Rutherglen gardening group are gearing up to appear on BBC’s Country File.

Grow 73 will host the cast of the hit show as they head to South Lanarkshire to film the group’s Bee Line project.

In collaboration with Healthy‘n’ Happy, the group have been working together to provide Cambuslang and Rutherglen residents a free homegrowing kit.

The team have carefully chosen a variety of flowers and potatoes for residents to grow in their gardens.

The potatoes are for residents to eat and the flowers will help grow a‘Bee Line’helping local bees and butterflies.

But before the Bee Line can be broadcast, the group are appealing to locals for help in making the garden as beautiful as it can be to showcase the area. Secretary Eugenie Aroutcheff said: “BBC Country File is coming to film our Bee Line project and community garden on April 26.

“We are proud of the work we are doing in the community and want to show it off.

“So we need help from you to showcase our work by: making raised beds; filling them up with compost; making signs; planting some flowers; tidying up around our growing areas; and painting.

“If this speaks to you, get in touch with us, as we have loads to do. Lets show how great our community comes together and how proud we are of our area.”

Last year, members of Grow 73 helped locals stay green-fingered during the pandemic, by giving them mini-allotments to develop.

The initiative proved popular with residents, who enjoyed trying to grow their own beans, peas and sunflowers.

The allotment idea is also tied into the gardeners’ Pollinator Bee Line project, which is to stretch from Rutherglen train station into Cathkin. Eugenie explained: “A Bee Line is a green corridor filled with flowers that will attract a variety of species of insects such as bees and butterflies to increase our biodiversity and help us combat climate change.

“The Bee Line will run from Rutherglen train station and reach out to Fernbrae Meadows, passing through some of our community gardening friends.

“If we do this as a team effort with other groups, and everyone who would like to take part, we will hopefully have a working Bee Line for insects and butterflies to feed on and for local residents to visit and learn more about nature and the environment.”

Anyone interested in helping the group or interested in getting a mini-allotment of their own should visit Grow 73’s Facebook page.