The grounds of a village centre are guaranteed to look blooming marvellous next spring and summer thanks to an army of green-fingered villagers.

Gwernymynydd residents have planted a wildflower meadow within the grounds of their village centre thanks to a Grow Wild youth funding grant awarded to community councillor Luisa Citra.

Cllr Citra, 22, became a Gwernymynydd community councillor as she wanted to get involved in improving the bio diversity and green spaces around the village and her efforts are really paying off.

She organised the Gwernymynydd Plant Project working with pupils of the village school which culminated in a big planting day at the village centre as the first step towards creating a wild flower meadow within its grounds.

Cllr Citra, who has been working closely with fellow community councillor and professional landscape gardener Mike Medway of Cadole, said: “I initially applied to Keep Wales Tidy for some hedging plants to create a wildlife corridor along the perimeter fencing of the village centre.

“I was successful and managed to get 150 native hedging plants. I then applied for a youth funding grant through Grow Wild, the national outreach initiative of the Royal Botanic Gardens at Kew.

“Grow Wild is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund and I was bowled over when I received a £500 grant toward creating a wildflower meadow.

“We had already started a village orchard and planted apple, plum, pear and cherry trees and I worked with Mike Medway to clear the ground around the trees. We then got the community and school pupils involved and had a seed sowing and planting day.”

She added: “We were supported on the day by Outside Lives, a social enterprise based in the village that helps people to be active and outdoors.

“Lucy Powell of Outside Lives came along and offered craft sessions for children and games and of course we had plenty of tea, coffee and homemade cakes to see us through the day.

“I’m delighted with how the day went and I can’t wait to see how the wildflower meadow, which children at the village school have decided should be called Millipede Meadow, will look in the late spring and early summer of next year. We planted wild daffodil, blue bell and other bulbs and a variety of wild flower seeds.”

Flintshire councillor Kevin Hughes who represents Gwernymynydd says Cllr Citra and Cllr Medway are an inspiration.

He added: “We have seen a great turn-out for the seed sowing and planting day and it’s going to look amazing when it all comes through.”