A NATIONAL award has been won by a Tenby garden which has transformed a piece of overgrown land.

The garden at Tenby Day Centre has blossomed into a beautiful, plant-filled haven after the hard work of green-fingered staff and centre users.

The prize of £1,000 and 100 geranium plants is now on its way to the centre as its prize for the best Wales and Northern Ireland garden in Cultivation Street, a national campaign to promote Britain's community gardeners.

The ambitious project began when the centre's senior carer, Sing Taylor, and staff members Jane Hammerton and Lorraine Lewis, set about clearing the outdoor space, with the help of family, volunteers and the centre's bus driver,Bert Dix.

Their aim was to create a garden for all to enjoy and look after, and to provide a valuable sensory space for older people, including those with dementia and physical disabilities.

There's a great feeling of enthusiasm at the Pembrokeshire County Council-run centre since gardening was introduced as an activity, said Sara Colwill, day centre services manager.

Gardeners aged up to 97 getting involved in the work, including older people from the Lee Davies Day Centre in Narberth.

The garden is also a sanctuary for birds, with feeders dotted amongst the trees and foliage. In colder months, a hidden camera in a nest enables everyone to watch the birds on a television screen in the centre, hatching their chicks and feeding them.

Sing said that everyone had really benefitted from the project.

She said: "We've had a lot of fun, and it means that the older people are now sitting outside more and enjoying the fresh air, which enriches their day.

"We've also had some fantastic support from the community, including the Lions of Tenby who have donated baskets and seeds."