THEY come out in the dead of night armed with trowels, watering cans and packets of seeds. Their aim is to transform neglected pieces of land by planting flowers or vegetables - and in turn brighten the lives of the local community.

THEY come out in the dead of night armed with trowels, watering cans and packets of seeds. Their aim is to transform neglected pieces of land by planting flowers or vegetables - and in turn brighten the lives of the local community.

And the guerilla gardening phenomenon is blooming in Glasgow.

Glasgow Guerilla Gardening has three permanent members - and plenty of keen volunteers - who work to transform rundown plots of land in the city while indulging their love of gardening.

Since they formed almost a year ago the team have already used their green-fingered magic on empty planters on Wilson Street in Merchant City and Calder Street in Govanhill.

And they can't wait to get their hands on other forgotten spots.

Group member Jennifer Calder, 34, from Merchant City, said: "Once we start to plant an area and it starts looking as if as interest is being taken less rubbish is left and it really has an impact on the area.

"Doing this has fulfilled my desires to have a garden - I live in a flat - and tidy up the community."

Sometimes the group - which consists of advice worker Jennifer plus IT technician Michael Gallagher, 36, and Ewan Nicholson, 33, an office administrator - even work on their projects at night.

Because guerilla gardeners don't own the land they want to transform, technically they could be carrying out criminal damage.

But Jennifer says the group has had no problems with the police in Glasgow and has a good relationship with the city council.

Jennifer, said: "We have done some work at night, mainly during the summer months and haven't had any problems.

"It's a great feeling when you start a site and it's a complete mess and you know when people wake up in the morning it will be completely different."

The guerrilla gardening movement has swept the world over the past few years.

As well as improving the look of an area guerilla gardeners hope they will encourage the community to take better care of it.

Their work can also attract wildlife and insects, such as bees, to an area.

The term was first used in 1973 in New York when a resident created a garden on abandoned land.

Londoner Richard Reynolds started a blog on guerilla gardening in 2004. It now has 4000 members and a book has been published, called On Guerilla Gardening.

Some say the idea could even date back as far as the 17th century when a group of socialists called the Diggers fought for the right to cultivate land.

Coming back up to date, the Glasgow group have set started out a mammoth gardening task.

Dubbed the 10,000 Bulb Challenge, its aim is to transform city plots including a rubbish-strewn site in Townhead.

The team hope to have 10 types of flowers - including daffodils, bluebells and snowdrops - blossoming in a run-down lane opposite St Mungo's Primary School.

They have already started work on the site and want the flowers to create a burst of colour for years to come.

Jennifer said: "When we first started work on the site it was badly overgrown and the lane was quite intimidating to walk up.

"We have tidied it up and that has really been appreciated by local people. We are going to brighten it up and make it look cared for."

The team are now appealing for donations of 10 different types of bulb to carry out the epic transformation there and in other areas of the city. They have already collected 2000.

The team hope to plant the first batch on August 31 and are keen to welcome more guerillas to join them and lend a hand.

Jennifer said: "We have paid for everything out of our own pockets so we have not been able to make the impact we want so far.

"We have had a lot of people giving us plants but we wanted to co-ordinate things to make a big impact.

"And even if people could come along for an hour every few months it would be a massive help.

"You don't need any gardening experience and if people want to bring their kids that's all right."

The group is also working with the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) on a project to brighten up a piece of land in Kinfauns Drive, Drumchapel.

Green councillor for Southside Central, Danny Alderslowe, and CCA artist Elizabeth Wewiora joined community volunteers as part of the centre's education programme This Land is Your Land earlier this month.

It aims to educate people about growing vegetables and plants and was funded by Drumchapel Environment Trust. It is hoped a large-scale community garden will eventually be created in the area.

To donate bulbs or volunteer visit www.glasgow guerillagardening.org.uk