WORKERS at a Yeadon residential home for the elderly are blooming delighted after getting a highly commended in a gardening contest for their revamped grounds.

And residents of Kirkland House are also delighted and are spending more time outdoors enjoying the newly tended flower borders and feature fountain.

The home was placed as one of the runners-up in the competition organised by Leeds City Council's social services department.

Sam Dalton, the home's care officer, said she and care assistant Wendy Elston, both keen gardeners, decided to brighten up the

formerly grassed grounds last year.

Since then, they have created new flower borders, a rockery, an alpine garden with a fountain and put up hanging baskets and flowering tubs. They have also turned a open central area bordered by the home's dining room into a place where residents can go and sit.

She said: "The residents are thrilled to bits, they love it and we are finding they are sitting outside more now because there is something for them to look at now."

The home won £50 in the contest and has decided to put it towards a paved garden area which could be used for holding garden parties. Sam said: "Hopefully, we are going to raise a lot more money and build a patio garden where we can get wheelchairs on."

The competition was arranged for the first time last year and was open to all council run centres, including those for people with learning disabilities and mental health problems, children and older people in residential and day care.

Councillor Marian Monks, deputy chairman of Leeds Social Services, said: "I was particularly impressed with the level of involvement by all the groups who took part, from children to older people. Everyone worked hard to create some rather imaginative gardens of a very high standard."

Pictured in the garden is Sam Dalton, front, with, from left, Amy Bradbourn, Elsie Robninson and Wendy Elston.

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