A POPULAR Clacks open garden event is set to return face-to-face this month, having gone virtual during the pandemic.

Dollar Open Gardens will return on the weekend of May 21 and 22 as part of the wider Dollar's Sustainability Festival in the town.

Previously organised by Dollar Horticultural Club, the open garden event will be run by Dollar Community Development Trust (DCDT) which will also be focusing on biodiversity as part of the wider sustainability weekend.

There will be 25 gardens to view over the weekend with funds raised going towards Strathcarron Hospice, the event's traditional charity partner, as well as to the development trust to support its work.

Rebecca McFarlane, DCDT manager, said: “We are really looking forward to it. There are 25 gardens that will open up to the public, some of them are people who have been hosts before, others are new – we are just hoping for some nice weather.”

The trust will be setting up its community marquee at The Hive for the weekend with a plant sale, teas and coffees and activities as part of Dollar's Sustainability Festival on offer.

The sustainability festival itself will go ahead between 1pm and 4.30pm on Saturday, May 21.

It will give people a chance to visit Dollar Academy's wormery and beehive, there will be tips on home composting and ponds, eco-friendly gardening ideas, activities for children and much more.

Rebecca said: “It's about improving biodiversity, thinking about what species of plants and flowers people can plant in their garden, also around composting, interesting bees.

“It's all things that either promote biodiversity or give people more information.”

While climate change is a global issue, Rebecca said the event will help people give an idea on what they can do as individuals to combat it in the Wee County context.

She added: “The event will give an idea on what everyone can do themselves rather than worrying too much on a global scale – what can we all do as individuals?

“That is about planting flowers for the bees, reducing waste around composting and more.”

Tickets and maps for Dollar Open Gardens are £7, under 16s go for free, and are available from Brian Devlin's, Dollar's Deli, the Sorting Office, The Hive or from the marquee on the day.

Visit dollarcdt.com for more information on the sustainability festival.