FOR the family and friends of Jayden Parkinson, December will always be tinged with grief.

The 17-year-old was brutally murdered and buried in the grave of her killer Ben Blakeley’s uncle in December 2013.

While most people would have been getting ready for Christmas, mum Samantha Shrewsbury is reminded of how cruelly her daughter was taken away from her.

The construction of a memorial garden for the former Didcot Girls’ School pupil will at least provide a focal point for remembering and reflection that can only help to comfort those affected by her loss. It will be in the town and accessible to all those who want to pay their respects to Jayden.

For her friends, it will act as a gathering place, somewhere to lay flowers on the anniversary of her death and for people to console each other.

It is good to see local charity Aspire Oxford and Soha Housing Ltd willing to donate resources to help make the dream become a reality.

The edible plants are a quirky touch that reminds us of the creativity of the teenager who was just 17 when she was murdered.

And letting her friends help build the garden will allow them to invest their emotions into the project and take ownership with the finished product.

The community will hopefully be able to rally around the idea and the garden could become a focal point in Didcot.

It would be a truly great legacy borne out of a tragedy.