How one woman got her community gardening
From cleaning up the community to running an award-winning gardening group, Phyllis Paterson shares her experience of setting up ‘Grangemouth’s Glitter team’
When Phyllis Paterson relocated to Grangemouth, a town in the Falkirk council area in Scotland, in September 2013, she was appalled by the amount of litter she saw around the town. Fed up with complaining about the situation, Phyllis picked up her litter picker and decided to do something about it.
Soon after that day in March 2018, the Let’s Get Grangemouth Clean Glitter Team was born, and since then the community gardening group has gone from strength to strength, with Phyllis leading the way to clean up their town. As part of National Gardening Week, 28 April to 4 May 2025, Phyllis shares her experience of setting up a community gardening group.
Making a change
In March 2018, Phyllis picked up her litter picker and started to clean up her street, quickly realising she would need support from others
“However, compared to Callander, the town I previously lived in, the amount of litter was noticeable,” says Phyllis. “Eventually, I got fed up with moaning and decided to do something about it. I took my litter picker and my dog and went out to clean our street. I came home with a bag bursting to capacity after doing less than a quarter of the length of my road, and realised I would need help.”
Forming ‘Grangemouth’s Glitter team’
Phyllis posted about her campaign on Facebook and was delighted when 23 people turned up to help clean up the community
“After a couple of weeks of litter picking with a few keen residents, I arranged a spring clean on one of the main roads, where we would be visible to the whole town,” says Phyllis. “Falkirk council waste services loaned the equipment we needed and collected the litterbags afterwards and I registered the pick with the ‘Spring Clean Scotland’ annual campaign run by Keep Scotland Beautiful.”
She adds: “I was delighted when 23 people turned up (and have stuck by the campaign ever since). Grangemouth has a great community spirit, and we have found other groups and individuals so helpful to us with storage space, equipment, sponsorship and helpful contacts and information, even down to trailer loads of manure. Gardeners’ gold!”
From litter busting to greening up Grangemouth
Grangemouth council provided flowers from the nursery that they had grown but had no budget to plant
“The town was clean, but it was looking very sad,” says Phyllis. “Our main Bo’ness Road was a terrible mess, the flowerbeds had nothing but weeds in them.”
She continues: “The council provided flowers from the nursery that they had grown but had no budget to plant. We took all they could give us, and we planted in abundance, Grangemouth looked amazing. Unfortunately, it didn’t last, as it was all bedding plants, a lot of work planting and come winter, nothing to show for it.
“The following year we started asking townsfolk for sponsorship for the flowerbeds and along with bedding plants, again provided by the council (which they bought in) we managed to keep the flowerbeds looking lovely. We now have 21 flowerbeds sponsored and planted with perennials, shrubs, evergreens and bulbs, which is an easier workload, especially now the plants are established.”
Growing gardening skills
The group initially felt unsure about their transition to gardeners, but now it is their favourite team activity
“I always encourage their skills, ideas and suggestions for tasks, projects or new areas that need attention, we share the workload fairly to suit our abilities and this works well for us. I think that is because we are now not just teammates, but we are friends and enjoy each other’s company. We love that Grangemouth residents have got behind us, supporting our work in making our town a better place for everyone.”
What’s next for the ‘Glitter team’?
“We shall carry on with all that we do as a team, improving, planning and planting but most of all enjoying it and finding the fun in every job.”
For more information on how to set up a community garden or gardening group, see our resources web pages.
-
Want to share your story this National Gardening Week? Join in on social media using the hash tag #YourSpaceYourStory
