Green-fingered patients at Rowley Regis day hospital are helping to transform a courtyard garden as part of their recovery.

Flowers, fruit and vegetables have been planted by two gardening groups as a form of occupational therapy.

The groups, which run on a Monday and Thursday are made up of day patients, many of whom are recovering from strokes, Parkinson's disease, falls or who have arthritis.

Occupational Therapist, Cheryl Coley, said: "We look at what each patient needs to achieve from a therapy point of view and found this could be achieved by getting them involved in gardening.

"It is something the majority of our patients are already interested in and there is an end product - a lovely garden, plants that we can sell and vegetables to eat."

Former patient Doug Holloway, aged 67, from Rowley Regis, enjoyed his membership of the gardening group so much after suffering a stroke he now helps out at the group as a volunteer.

Doug said: "I love it down here - I come to each of the gardening groups and then I help out as a volunteer on the wards on two other days."