THE £140,000 make-over of Dawson Park, off Dundee’s Arbroath Road, is rapidly beginning to take shape and could be ready as early as next spring.

One of the major differences immediately apparent will be the relocation and re-naming of the popular Duntrune Demonstration Garden, whose site has been sold for housing.

Staff are preparing for the final events at the old site in Broughty Ferry, to be held in October.

The existing blaes pitch at Dawson Park is being replaced by an all-weather pitch for use by Grove Academy as a sports ground and for use by hockey and football clubs.

In addition to the pitch, there will be a proper dugout and floodlighting.

The renovation is part of plans the city council have for all of the city’s major parks, including Camperdown Country Park, Castle Green, Dawson Park and then Stobsmuir Park.

The construction of the new gardens at Dawson Park is part of a strategy to encourage more people into the city’s parks.

The work includes a boundary security fence and a path network which will take visitors round the various features of the garden, including a model suburban garden with fencing, a pergola and a shed.

Various patio and kitchen gardens will be incorporated, including a healthy living garden, all bounded with suitable fencing and pergolas with space for rock and water gardens.

A therapeutic garden will also be included and will replace the existing one at the entrances to the park.

To improve access to the garden a new footpath will be constructed and the existing one removed.

The old garden for disabled people, which is no longer used, will provide an extension to the existing car park at Caenlochan Road at the rear of Dawson Park.

It is also proposed to carry out additional work in conjunction with Dundee College’s horticultural department and Strath- martine Skillcentre to reconstruct the Kim Wilde garden, featured at Dundee Flower and Food Festival, as part of one of the patio-front gardens.

The planting of the demonstration garden is to be carried out by the department’s horticultural staff.