VOLUNTEERS have enjoyed learning how to recognise plants, sow bulbs and find out about the history of the town's open space.

The newly-formed community group Friends of Winsford held their first activity on Thursday morning.

Horticulturalist Jo Fawcett, who designed the park's planting scheme, was on hand to explain her design, which is influenced by the work of renowned Dutch garden designer Piet Oudolf.

Group chairman John Malam said: “It was great to hear Jo describe the design stages she had gone through and see how her scheme had evolved from first sketch to finished design.

“Members of the Friends' group then got to work in the meadow zone, doing some light weeding amongst the plants that Jo had put in during the summer months.

"St Andrew’s Church had very kindly invited us to their Thursday morning drop-in cafe where we enjoyed a welcome cup of tea and a chat.”

Tools were loaned but volunteers were asked to bring hand trowels, hand forks and buckets and sacks to collect weeks.

Joint funding has been approved by Cheshire West and Chester Council and Winsford town council for the park's horticulturalist Jo Fawcett to work with the group.

Six benches are being installed and work to complete the landscaping at the main entrance and a viewing platform is taking shape as part of a £900,000 refurbishment.

This will involve top soiling the mounded area where the cabins were, turfing or grass seeding the banks and planting the top tier beside the railings with ground cover planting.

The work will also include two feature trees.

Lighting for eight salt stack sculptures is nearing completion. Concrete plinths will be fitted with uplighters.

The Friends’ next session is on Wednesday October 31 from 10.30am to 1pm.

Further sessions take place on November 15, November 28 and December 13.

For further details visit the Friends of Winsford Town Park Facebook page or email hello@fowtp.co.uk to be added to the mailing list.