"Awards for All"

In autumn 2010 Keeping Nairnshire Colourful (KNC) successfully applied for lottery funding through the "Awards for All" Scotland scheme to enhance the town with new permanent planting.

The first project was three of the town's seasonal beds along the A96 at Achareidh which were due to be grassed over as a result of cuts to Highland Council's budget. KNC decided to adopt the beds and found three local groups -  the Nairn & District Gardening Club, the junior section of the Boys' Brigade and Nairnshire Guides - willing to plant up and maintain them. Each bed was designed to have a focal tree, shrubs, perennials and bulbs.  Green's Nurseries and Broadley Garden Centre supplied the plants and KNC equipped each group with the tools they needed. The beds were planted up in April 2011 and, thanks to a wet summer everything established well. 

The second part of the project was increasing the spring display of bulbs in Nairn with a marathon planting of 180,000 bulbs around the town. Throughout October volunteer residents set to work rolling back turf, scattering bulbs and re-laying the grass.

The first planting was of 12,000 daffodils in drifts between the trees and paths at the Cemetery Field. This was followed by 30,000 grape hyacinths to add a "Loch" effect to the existing blue "River" planted in 2010 also at the Cemetery field. Then 36,000 purple crocuses were planted in two large drifts along the A96 at Achareidh. Further plantings took place of 8,000 white crocuses at the Links, 14,000 crocuses and 6,000 more grape hyacinths at the Cemetery field and along the A96. The final planting was of a Copper Birch tree and 2,000 crocuses in Harbour Street in Fishertown. 

KNC would like to thank Nairn Boys' Brigade, Nairn Allotment Society, Nairn Ceilidh Group, Nairn Scouts, Cantraybridge College, the United Reform Church Pilots, Community Service workers, staff at Sainsbury's and members of the public for all their time and hard work helping us to complete such a mammoth task. We would also like to thank Henry Sleigh Landscapes, Tec Services and Green's Nurseries for helping to prepare the sites for planting and Broadley Garden Centre for sourcing the bulbs at the best possible price.  Everyone in Nairn can now enjoy a glorious spring display. 

The design of the A96 bed adopted by Nairn & District Gardening Club	The Club planting up the bed in April 2011
The same bed in March 2012	Volunteers planting crocus bulbs at the Cemetery field
Daffodils at the Cemetery field