A big-hearted response to an appeal in the Standard has brought in donations of plants and bird boxes for Dumfries Train Station.
And the newly-formed team of volunteers who have taken up the gauntlet left by the former South West Railway Adopters Gardening Group couldn’t be more delighted.
Chairman of Dumfries Adopters Railway Gardeners, Gill Stanyard said: “Thank you so much to the Standard for your support with the article on DARG.
“We have received a brilliant response with three new volunteers and donations of plants, bulbs and bird food.”
They are beautifying the busy train station on the Nith Valley Line, under the auspices of the Adopt-A-Station scheme operated by ScotRail.
Their name Darg is an old Scots word meaning “a good day's work” and Gill said they would still welcome new volunteers to join in: “At present, anyone who wants to join us can find us usually on platform one every Monday morning from 10am to noon.”
Their objective is to keep the station looking blooming beautiful for the many visitors who pass through on trains or get on and off at the platforms.
And they recently planted a Davida involucrata on platform two. Gill said: “It is a nod to the same lovely specimen in the Crichton gardens. Ours is a just a little bit on the smaller side and much younger.
“This unusual tree is known as the ‘handkerchief tree’ as it has large white bracts that look like handkerchiefs drying or doves resting on the branches. In these modern times, with the pandemic, it could be renamed as the ‘white mask’ though.”
Anyone who can help, or wants to volunteer, should text or call 074644 33054.
