These sweet peas are a symbol of community gardeners working together during the pandemic as part of a United in Kind project in Maldon - and are growing in the town's Friary Walled Garden, which will be open to the public on Sunday (1 August).

Members of the Maldon RHS Community Gardens group established a link with the district's United in Kind group during the past year and took part in a project called Plant and Grow, designed to bring people together through a shared love of gardening during the crisis.

The flowers are among the lovely displays at Maldon's Friary Walled Garden, almost hidden in the middle of the town centre on White Horse Lane. The beautiful garden is tucked behind high red brick and stone walls. It features gravel paths, box hedging, flowering perennials, roses, a wildlife pond and fruit trees.

The garden has been cared for by Maldon & Heybridge Horticultural Society since 1987 and opens to visitors on the first Sunday of every month.

Volunteer Karen Hutchings said: "We open on the first Sunday of every month, so we do open regularly and last month it was a lovely day - we had really nice weather and lots of visitors.

"We were closed for a little while until restrictions were lifted, and then we had a one-way system and a limited number of people coming in, but we're sort of back to normal now which is nice.

"There's no restrictions - you don't need masks and there's no one-way system. You're free to have a wander as you like."

As well as providing a tranquil oasis for visitors, the garden has been a haven for volunteers throughout the pandemic.

Karen said: "It's been lovely for the volunteers during lockdown and everything. It's somewhere nice for us to go and plant."

There will also be a plant stall which will sell plants grown by the society and donated by other members of the public.

The design of the garden suggests Georgian origin, but the site has been in cultivation for far longer - it is believed to have been the probable garden of Maldon's Carmelite Friary which was founded in 1293.

The garden was closed in the 1970s and lay neglected until the Maldon & Heybridge Horticultural Society transformed it into the beautiful site it is today.

The garden will be open to the public between 10am and 4pm - entrance is free.

-You can find out more about the garden by visiting the website using the link here and to see more local events in Maldon don't forget to visit our new What's On Section at the link here, where you can also post your own event or club meeting listings for free.