IT WAS once a place people would avoid. Now, after five years of campaigning and hard work, a former wasteland in Oxford is a blossoming community garden for everyone.

The site in Barracks Lane, Cowley, used to be home to derelict garages and was used as a dumping ground and place for drug addicts to meet.

It was officially opened on Saturday and John Green, Barracks Lane Community Garden chairman, said: "It's an absolute joy for us to see it like this.

"The site is now primed for the local community to take ownership of it and use it.

"We don't want to be seen as a particular type of group, we're just a group of very different people that have come together and harnessed each other's energy."

Oxford East MP Andrew Smith praised the work of residents for their determination to see the idea through to the end.

He said: "This really is a dream come true.

"This community garden just shows what can be achieved when local residents pitch in and say, 'we want this changed.' "With local residents having campaigned for it and raised the money for it, there will also be that interest to ensure the site is maintained."

Part of the plan to ensure the site is maintained is by enlisting local residents to be Garden Guardians on a voluntary basis.

Annie Davy, who has been involved in the project since its birth five years ago, said: "We're hoping to set up a scheme whereby local volunteers help once every six weeks,.

"They can come by and make sure that it's clean, tidy up and lock the gate. It doesn't have to be hard work - they can come down and sit in the sun and just enjoy the garden."

There will be a number of workshops and activities taking place in the garden over the summer, including mosaic making, yoga and puppet making.