A once-overgrown patch outside Fernhurst GP Surgery has been transformed into a flourishing medicinal garden, thanks to the efforts of local volunteers, businesses and community groups.

The new garden was officially opened on July 1, with staff from Fernhurst GP Surgery and Haslemere Health Centre joined by district and parish councillors, sponsors, members of Fernhurst Horticultural Society (FHS) and residents to celebrate the project.

The idea began when FHS member Linda Lawes noticed the surgery's neglected flowerbeds, where ageing shrubs had become overgrown. Believing the space could become an attractive and welcoming feature for patients and visitors, the society formed a dedicated team to create a medicinal garden, with the surgery backing the proposal from the start.

Local firm Bramdean Construction helped launch the project by clearing the site and donating topsoil, while volunteers from the horticultural society and the wider village prepared the beds and planted a collection of herbs and flowers with traditional medicinal uses.

The garden was designed by Fernhurst resident Andrea Webb, of Aprimula Design, who selected plants long associated with natural remedies. She also worked alongside fellow volunteer Claudia Vargas and Fernhurst Cub Scouts to make bee homes from recycled drinks cans and plastic bottles, creating habitats for pollinating insects.

Further support came from residents and gardening clients who donated plants, while Fernhurst Parish Council provided funding for water butts to collect rainwater and help maintain the new garden sustainably.

Claudia Vargas said: "Whenever I am out there watering, people always stop and express an interest in the flower beds and the plants."

Theresa Kennedy, chair of Fernhurst Horticultural Society, added: "It has really caught the imagination of the local residents. It is marvellous to see how a small project can be so widely appreciated."