THE flower beds at County Hall in Dorchester are to be revamped with plants to tell the story of Dorset’s green evolution.

A selection of low-maintenance, sustainable plants will be planted outside the Dorset County Council headquarters.

The new gardens will be called ‘From the Wildwoods’ and are designed to tell the story of the evolution of plants in Dorset and reflect the county’s natural environment.

Hilary Cox, cabinet member for the environment, said: “This new garden will help to show that the county council is taking the lead in terms of sustainable development and more efficient land management.

“Hopefully, it will inspire others to think about how they design their own outdoor spaces, whether public or private.

“It is so much more sensible to have a long-term, low-maintenance approach.”

The council says that the garden will provide better long-term value for money than the existing flowerbeds, which are high-maintenance.

As many plants as possible will be taken from local nurseries. Many are drought resistant, which the council says means they will live longer and be cheaper to look after.

The scheme has been drawn up by the council’s natural environment team and Dorset Works Organisation.

The garden’s choice of species tells a story of the development of plants from the end of the Ice Age to today.

They include woodland, heathland, grassland and hedgerows as well as rocks, pine, ferns and groundcover juniper.