Mick's blooms bring smiles to care home

Retired Fireman, Mick Poultney, aged 69, from Colley Gate has grown a bounty of colourful flowers and vegetables in anticipation for the annual Colley Gate Gardening Club show, which was due to take place on September 12.

However, organisers of the show have been forced to cancel due to the ongoing coronavirus situation.

Not wanting to waste his produce, Mick gave away the vegetables he had grown and decided to donate the flowers to Two Gates House nursing home in Halesowen.

Mick said: "They loved it and were pleased.

"I know all the staff there and they are all local they know my wife too, I also know a lot of the residents as some of them used to be gardeners at the allotment.

"In the end it worked out well and they didn't go to waste."

He has been growing produce at his allotment for more than 30 years.

The club, formerly known as Cradley Gardening Club, has been going for more than 35 years and has more than 100 members.

Each year keen gardeners show off their prize produce at the show at Wilson Hall, including fruit, vegetables, flowers, preserves and baked goods and wines.

Mick said: "The show is the highlight of the year, it is always four good days.

"It feels like this year was a waste of time as we started planting early just after Christmas, but it has given us something to do, but we are all in the same boat."

Although this year's show has been cancelled, organisers are planning to hold a show in 2021 and will be producing the schedule for it towards the end of the year.