Three Towns Growers made and donated hanging baskets with flowering plants and planted sensory gardens for the residents of Caledonia Care Home in Saltcoats.

Frank Clarke, who designed and installed the gardens, said: "A sensory garden is designed with the purpose of stimulating the senses. This stimulation occurs courtesy of plants that engage one's senses of sight, smell, touch, taste, and sound.

"Sensory gardens are especially beneficial to the elderly and can be used to reduce the symptoms of dementia without the use of drugs though stimulation of the senses and the exercise of certain parts of the brain.

"Caledonia Care Home’s sensory gardens were planted with ornamental grasses that are a delight to touch and provide sound as they sway in the wind, plants producing large flowers in bright primary colours to stimulate sight. Colours often diminish with age, persons with Alzheimer’s appear to have difficulty recognizing colours). There are also various herbs such as curry plant, mint, lavender, lemon balm, rosemary, and thyme, to provide strong scents and taste."

"Residents are encouraged to pick-and-sniff herb and flower beds to recall happy memories."

Caledonia Care Home would like to thank Three Towns Grower’s chair Gordon McNeil, Linda McNeil, John Muir and Frank Clarke, for their work.

Three Towns Growers is a horticultural and green charity based at their Community Gardens and Allotments in Elm Park, Ardrossan.