Blooming boats on the Lowland canals

GARDENS are set to bloom on the water this year as plans are announced for beautiful floating gardens that will tour the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals.

The event is one part of a nationwide programme of events driven by the concept of ‘Sow, Grow, Share’ – and not just food, but ideas, music, scientific knowledge and community.

The Floating Garden is an ambitious, touring part of the programme, consisting of two boats and a range of growing techniques, from traditional raised beds to futuristic accelerated growing cubes. Launching from Glasgow in June, the Floating Garden will pass through Bishopbriggs, Kirkintilloch, Auchinstarry, Bonnybridge, Polmont, Linlithgow, Broxburn, Ratho and Edinburgh, before mooring beside theKelpies at Helix Park until September.

Falkirk Council and Scottish Canals are partnering with creative arts programme

Dandelion to grow the unique boating gardens. Dandelion will bring together artists, scientists, performers and technology experts to bring events to communities throughout Scotland, which will culminate in hundreds of harvest celebrations later this year.

Other sites in Scotland includeForres, Caithness, Fife, Argyll, Edinburgh, Greenock, Dundee, and the Borders. Find details of the Floating Gardens and other events at dandelion.scot/

PHOTOS: DANDELION Maeve Adams, 11 and Jack Butler, 6, anticipate the launch of Dandelion’s Unexpected Gardens.

Dandelion is partnering with community organisations to plant Unexpected Gardens across Scotland.

DaDa Dandelion dndndlelelioion event manager Yvonne Kincaid, festival and events manager Neil Robertson and Ian Withers, creative producer for the Falkirk canal boat Unexpected Garden.