The Rotary Club in Romsey have entered into a partnership with Hilliers Gardens to highlight the global effort made by Rotary to eradicate polio.

Last Friday the Presidents and Vice Presidents of the two clubs joined Hilliers staff as a quarter of a million crocus corms were planted.

The purple crocuses will flower in spring as a symbol of the worldwide polio vaccination campaign.

The flowers signify the purple dye that is on children's fingers to show that they have received the polio vaccine.

A spokesman for the rotary club said: “We are very excited about this opportunity to use the crocuses to bring our End Polio Now campaign to the attention of visitors to the gardens."