A COUPLE of major new landscaping projects in two of Stroud’s public parks are winning warm praise from residents and visitors.

A previously drab corner of Bank Gardens in the town centre has been transformed into an exotic fern garden, whilst a 30-metre long border in Park Gardens has been rebuilt and turned into a sea of summer-long colour.

Tony Butler, of Stroud Town Council’s Greenspaces Team, said: "The fern garden took around two months to create.

"People who walk through both gardens have been loving the new planting. We’ve had lots of positive comments."

More than 50 different plants can now be seen in the fern garden including 12 different ferns and under-planting with bulbs.

They sit amid large sections of oak taken from a tree which blew down in Park Gardens during the winter storms as well as elm stumps recycled from the town’s cemetery.

Both areas also provide important new habitats for bees as part of Stroud’s groundbreaking attempt to become a Bee Guardian Town.