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Dementia patient's joy after gardening prescription

Angie Brown
BBC Scotland, Edinburgh and East reporter
Clare Boyd Maureen is holding up two large runner beans in front of her face and smiling. She has glasses, a blue padded coat and grey hair.Clare Boyd
Maureen McElvanney showing off her produce that she has grown at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Maureen McElvanney is one of a growing number of people with Alzheimer's who have been prescribed gardening to help cope with their symptoms.

The 87-year-old great grandmother has had a lifelong love of the pastime since growing up in Rouken Glen park in East Renfrewshire, where her father was superintendent.

But seven years ago she was diagnosed with the brain disease which causes memory loss, confusion and changes in personality.

Now a gardening course at The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh is helping her bring back lots of happy memories.

Clare Boyd Clare is on the left with her mum on the right. Clare is wearing stripy blue classes and has ginger curly hair. She is wearing a knitted jumper with dogs on it. Her mum is wearing glasses and has white hair and is wearing a white and grey knitted jumper. They are both smiling.Clare Boyd
Clare says her mum, Maureen, has really benefitted from the gardening scheme at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Maureen, who lives in Edinburgh, grows vegetables and flowers at the bi-weekly Garden Thyme project, which takes referrals from GPs and dementia advisors.

Her daughter, Clare Boyd, told BBC Scotland News she was surprised her mother could be referred for gardening but it was of great benefit to her.

"What has been great about this group is that my mum could be actively involved in gardening again and not just wandering around looking at flowers," Claire said.

"It is something she is engaged with that she had been passionate about before and has energised her.

"You can see in the photos she's enjoying herself and we can talk about the photos afterwards, which gives her (memory) triggers to other events that have happened."

Mrs Boyd said her mum was born at Rouken Glen and grew up with the park as her garden.

She has always been a keen gardener and at one point worked in Mortonhall Garden Centre in Edinburgh.

"She knew all the names of the plants and their Latin names, she doesn't remember any of those now but her passion for gardening does come back during the classes," Clare said.

Clare Boyd Maureen is wearing a thick padded blue jacket. She has white hair and glasses and is holding a flower pot with snowdrops in it. She has thick black gloves on.Clare Boyd
Although Maureen now has a gardener to tend her own garden in Edinburgh she loves pottering about in it

"She gets the chance to do planting and putting seeds in pots and seeing things grow and taking the weeds out - all these things she has been remembering that's what you do.

"She has to be told what to do next but watching her you can see her doing it on her own and pottering about and then she can chat to someone else about it and see them grow their fruit and veg.

"She's always much brighter and happier after she's been."

Maureen said: "I liked planting seeds and seeing them grow into bigger plants."

Clare Boyd Maureen is wearing a pink cardigan over a white top. She has beige trousers on a a brown necklace. She is standing in front of bushes inside a hot house. She is smiling.Clare Boyd
Maureen in one of the hot houses in The Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh

Gillian Council, Alzheimer Scotland's executive lead for brain health and innovation, said: "It's great to hear that GPs are referring people living with dementia to nature-based activities like those provided at the Botanic Garden.

"We have seen first hand how people with dementia – of all ages and at different stages of their illness – and their family carers benefit so much from being in green spaces.

"For someone living with dementia, social isolation can speed up disease progression, so these activities are also a great way to maintain vital social contact."

Laura Gallagher, Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh community engagement coordinator said: "All participants are referred to us by health professionals at their GP surgery or other support organisations such as Alzheimer Scotland.

"Activities in the Botanic Cottage are sociable, fun and friendly, and participants enjoy the wellbeing benefits of being out in nature, doing light gardening tasks such as planting seeds, or just enjoying guided strolls around our beautiful garden."

Clare said: "My mum is in a state of anxiety a lot of the time because she has no idea what's going on.

"She says 'I'm lost, I don't know, I'm lost' and is a bit panicked looking.

"But at the Botanics course she's relaxed and the gardening brings back a lot of happy memories for her."