IT'S positively blooming — Okehampton Hospital's garden has been rejuvenated thanks to a community effort. The Japanese garden has been renamed the courtyard garden and has been packed with plants that will hopefully thrive in the conditions. There was outrage in the summer when the tranquillity garden, created by a team of garden designers from Japan to aid patients' recovery, looked neglected and dull. Lack of maintenance and funding had taken their toll on the garden which was making people depressed rather than uplifted. So it was the Hospital League of Friends who came to the rescue, and armed with forks and spades and a multitude of helpers they set about the huge task of weeding, taking out plants that had failed to grow well, digging the soil and planting new specimens. Treasurer of the group Dee Young said 120 bags of stones had been laid with help from the Okehampton Rangers, Army personnel and students from Okehampton College. She said: 'We had two and a half tonnes of slate and pea gravel and lots of bags of mulch to keep the weeds down. 'We are extremely grateful to the local firms who donated materials, gave time and advice and free delivery and to all the helpers — if it was not for them we would still be there doing it.' Mrs Young said a volunteer would be spending one hour a week in the garden to maintain it. 'It is a low maintenance garden now but there will still be some jobs to do and we will keep on top of it,' she said. 'It looks absolutely splendid and we have left all the daffodils and snowdrops in so there will be a good display in the spring.' A bell which was a fixture in the Castle Hospital will be taking pride of place in the garden and this unique outdoor space will again be a pleasure for patients and staff to look out on and sit in. Funds raised by the league of friends have paid for the garden revamp together with donations in memory of loved ones. A figure in the region of £1,000 has been spent.