GHA’s older tenants are getting their hands dirty in a gardening competition to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Glasgow Garden Festival.

The Festival of Flowers is taking place across the city, as tenants show off their green fingers and turn their outdoor spaces into a riot of colour.

It is being run to show the wider community what people can do to make their environments flourish and give older people the chance to get together and enjoy the fresh air.

Frank O’Neill, a tenant from GHA’s Crosshill Avenue in Queen’s Park, is one of the people taking part.

He said: “I remember going along to the Garden Festival with the missus and the kids. We all had a good time, although I wasn’t particularly interested in gardening back then.

“But I take an interest now. Crosshill is a beautiful community and I want it to be a nice place for us all to live and be proud of.

“We are busy tidying it up at the moment and we have some bulbs to plant.

"It is good to encourage people to take an interest and take the opportunity to socialise and it involved.

"The Festival of Flowers will hopefully show everyone what is possible.”

The Festival of Flowers is open to all tenants at GHA, Cube and Loretto Housing who receive the Livingwell service, which is designed to help older people live in their homes for longer and enjoy activities that help connect them to their community.

The Livingwell service is run by GHA’s sister organisation, Loretto Care, which is also part of Wheatley Group, Scotland’s leading housing, property management and care organisation.

Marie Blake, 63, who lives at GHA’s Dougrie Terrace in Castlemilk, added: “We had great weather over the summer and the plants are thriving.

“I do love gardening - although it really is trial and error. I find it very therapeutic”.

Area Care Manager Liz Smith said: “We all have great memories of the garden festival and we can’t wait to show off what our tenants have been doing in their gardens.

“Gardening is great for getting people together, enjoying the fresh air and getting some gentle exercise.”