A gardening club at a care organisation is helping green-fingered residents rediscover their passion – with home-grown potatoes ready to be harvested.

Residents at Pendine Park in Wrexham are eagerly awaiting their first crop of vegetables after transforming raised beds into mini allotments.

The gardening classes at Pendine’s homes, including Penybryn, Bryn Bella and Bodlondeb, in Summerhill Road have seen residents planting runner beans, sugarsnap peas, cherry tomatoes, new potatoes, shallots and herbs under the guidance of head gardener Andrew Jones.

And with the first early potatoes already flourishing just eight weeks after planting, staff say residents are excited about the prospect of enjoying their own fresh produce this summer.

The sessions are open to complete beginners and to more advanced gardening enthusiasts.

Andrew said: “We get quite a number of residents taking part, some who have never gardened before but are keen to have a go and learn how to cultivate young plants.

“Others have been keen gardeners in the past but maybe health issues have prevented them from gardening as actively as they used to. This is a great way for them to get back to it and enjoy what is a really rewarding hobby.”

As well as the vegetables and herbs, there are a few ornamental plants in the mix, and Andrew has helped some residents plant up easy species to grow in their rooms.

Resident Lynn Kelly was delighted to be put in charge of a young herbaceous perennial succulent plant, a sedum, which she is hoping will thrive on the windowsill of her room.

She said: “We enjoy doing this because you can see the progress being made each month. It’s interesting and Andrew is a great teacher. I am looking forward to watching the sedum get stronger and hopefully it will eventually get big enough to go outdoors in a border and produce flowers.”

Christine Williams, whose husband Phil is a resident at Pendine Park, said the gardening sessions were much appreciated.

She said: “I only found out about this recreational activity when I was visiting Phil and I think it’s a great idea.

“Phil was a very keen gardener before encountering health setbacks, and this is a good way to revive his interest.

“It’s also been very interesting for me, listening to Andrew’s tips and advice on how to get the best crops.”

She was particularly interested in learning about the new potatoes which Andrew and the residents planted only eight weeks ago and are already flourishing, having grown to about two feet high.

Andrew said: “These are Pentland Javelin first early variety which means they can be ready to harvest as early as July or even June. They produce plenty of tubers with smooth, creamy-white flesh.

“We planted them as chit potatoes and they are already doing really well. I believe as new potatoes go, these are one of the best varieties around, second only to Jersey Royals in flavour.”

Pendine Park enrichment activities co-ordinator Elaine Lee said the residents are looking forward to sampling the potatoes which she said are one of the great tastes of summer.

She said: “I remember a couple of years ago we had a fabulous harvest of new potatoes. We picked them all and I cooked them for us to enjoy with some melted butter. Everyone loved them, they were delicious.”

Resident Sandra Swift was looking forward to helping pick a bumper crop of green beans, while Sara Burhe enjoyed fragrant herbs such as basil and coriander.

Among his top tips for gardening success, Andrew advised residents to put herbs between patio tomato plants to help stave off pests such as whitefly and blackfly.

He said: “We have chosen dwarf patio tomato plants for our grow-bags this year as they are among the easiest to grow and don’t need pinching out like many other tomato varieties do.

“They do not grow too high so are each to pick and they produce a bushy crop of sweet cherry tomatoes fit to be eaten straight from the plant.

“I have put two tomato plants in each grow bag with a herb plant in the middle to help ward off pests.

“The best companion herb plant for doing this with tomatoes is basil. Or simple marigolds can also be used to the same effect. Flies don’t like the distinctive aroma that their leaves emit so they will avoid them.”

While the tomatoes and potatoes were strong enough to go in a sheltered spot outdoors, the young seedlings were placed on a tray on the window sill of the communal lounge where residents can watch them sprouting out.