AN AVID gardener has reaped the benefits of outdoor living and celebrated his 100th birthday.

Alex Swanston, who has lived in Ormiston since he was two years old, reached his century on January 1.

Lockdown ended plans to celebrate his landmark birthday with a family meal – with daughters June and Ella, grandchildren Elaine and Mark, and great-grandchildren Isla, aged seven, Jessica, aged five, and Nesta, two – but he did manage to see his daughters and their husbands, who now live in Edinburgh.

June said her dad, a retired miner, had always been a keen gardener.

“It progressed as the years went on,” she said. “He always had a garden and he always grew flowers and vegetables, probably just for the family, but it progressed to flower shows and plant sales.”

Alex enters the village’s flower show every year and was gifted a handmade planter by the Ormiston Blooms Together group for his special birthday.

Lisa Cunningham, organiser of the gardening group, said: “Ormiston Blooms Together were delighted to hear one of our villagers was turning 100 and we wanted to surprise Alex with a gift.

“One of our volunteers, Jim Sutherland, handmade a planter for Alex, who always enters the local flower show in Ormiston each year and grows his own vegetables.

“He has tended his own garden throughout lockdown and we wanted to mark this occasion, especially when times are so difficult and challenging.”

June added: “He won a trophy at the Musselburgh Flower Show in 2019 for his chrysanthemums.

“He’s a member of the Ormiston Garden Club and had all his plants organised for the flower shows last year, even though they didn’t go ahead! So his flowers kept him going through lockdown.

“And he’ll be getting started for the next flower shows.”

Councillor Shamin Akhtar, local ward member, said: “I’ve met Alex at Ormiston Flower Show.

“Congratulations to him on his 100th birthday.

“The planter was such a lovely and kind gesture from the Ormiston Blooms Together group and reflects the great community spirit of Ormiston.”