Sheltered housing residents embrace 'wonderful' gardens

Nature plays a big part in the lives of the tenants at Montgomery Manor in Bangor.

Their social housing provider has supported them to set up a Wildlife Group, creating a herb garden, planting flowers and putting up bird feeders.

But there is no requirement to provide support for biodiversity in social housing, although the Programme for Government contains a commitment to build at least 5,850 new social homes by 2027.

The gardens surrounding Montgomery Manor are invaluable to Jim Duffy.

He moved to the assisted living facility 16 months ago after losing his sight due to a rare condition.

Since then, his other senses have become even more important.

"What I can smell when I'm outside here is absolutely amazing, and it's the same thing with the sounds from all different sorts of birds. I can even hear insects.

"I would sit here sometimes for an hour and just take in the smells, the sounds - it's wonderful."

His friend, former nurse Avril Roddy, is on hand to describe what he is smelling and hearing when he doesn't recognise it.

She admits she hasn't got "a great knowledge of gardening", but she enjoys being outside.

"I love being in the fresh air, I love nature itself and I love the sunshine.

"To be able to plant things and see them grow, to me that's just wonderful."

A few miles up the road, residents at Lowry Court in Belfast are also boosting diversity in their grounds.

Non-native trees have been removed and native species planted in their place.

A water feature has been installed, raised beds are being built and the spring blooms in the garden are bursting into life.

Spending time in nature is known to improve health and wellbeing.

But one in 10 species in Northern Ireland is at risk of extinction.

Cameron Watt, chief executive of Alpha Housing, said improving biodiversity in social housing should be supported by government.

"Particularly in building new homes, we believe that small changes such as mandating the use of native plants and shrubs and leaving wildlife corridors at the periphery of new-build sites could really help support the recovery of nature across Northern Ireland," he said.

Environmental consultant Michael Topping has been working with tenants in both developments and other locations in the group.

"There are opportunities where there's more green space, lawns that you can add in an orchard or a small bit of woodland, a bit of shrub-planting," he said.

"We're trying to increase pollinating species, flowering shrubs, and structure for bird habitat and insect life."

At Montgomery Manor, Avril is eagerly watching the growth of the acorn she found locally and looking after the new seedling "like a baby".

She has named it Oaky-Doky.

And she knows the Wildlife Group's work is about growing more than trees and plants.

"Last summer, there were only a few would have come out, but now we're getting more and more and more people coming walking around because they like the environment that they can see.

"And it's helping everybody."