Green-fingered residents at a Highland care home are blooming with pride after winning two top prizes at this year’s Black Isle Show.
Making history as the first care home to enter the event’s flower show, the residents from Eilean Dubh in Fortrose now hope to showcase their skills at other local competitions.
Activities coordinator Fiona Stoddart said: “It all started when Billy Mackintosh, one of our residents, mentioned that he used to enter the Black Isle Show many years ago. We got chatting about it and thought it would be a good idea to enter ourselves. Since it was our first year, we started off with small plug plants that the residents took great care of, as well as some of our garden roses. Those roses were planted when Eilean Dubh opened and have been cultivated and pruned each year.”
The roses proved to be award-winning as the care home secured second prize for three roses on a single stem and third prize for six single stem roses.
Fiona added: “We are proud to be the first care home ever to take part in the Black Isle Show, and absolutely delighted to have brought home two prizes.
“For us, the most significant achievement has been the commitment our residents have shown by tending to their plants and garden roses. As Billy said, he never imagined he would ever get the opportunity to enter the Black Isle Show again at his age, so it was wonderful to see his reaction when we won two prizes.”
Inspired by their success, the residents now hope to enter the Black Isle Horticultural Society Show in Rosemarkie this weekend and have been invited to take part in the Alness Horticultural Society Autumn Show later this month.