August brings a bountiful harvest and we focus on techniques to better manage gardening tasks.

August 31, 2019

The weather has been cooler and more changeable, so we have been glad of the greenhouse to duck under for cover inbetween showers. Beans and tomatoes are continuing to multiply, and the chillies are really coming into their own. One of our staff used a harvest of fresh mixed tomatoes to make an amazing breakfast of Shakshuka which tasted delicious. Our brassicas got eaten by caterpillars but made welcome food for pet guinea pigs! The compost bays are now finished and in use. We now have three Gardening Volunteers working with us weekly, which has been a big help in developing our therapeutic garden areas and we are grateful to have them.

Adaptive techniques and tools

This month we have had a few patients who have wanted to focus on techniques to better manage gardening tasks without flaring up joint and back pain, and to review tools which may make life easier to continue gardening at home. Simple solutions such as sitting rather than standing for tasks such as seed sowing, pricking out and potting on can be helpful for conserving energy. Using tools which are not necessarily adaptive but lightweight and long handled can prevent overloading joints and bending for long periods. Using a wheelbarrow to carry a watering can spreads the load, and was a useful solution for one person who wanted to be able to complete this activity independently. Ensuring that both hands were used to lift the watering can was also an adjustment in technique to better protect joints and enable pain-free gardening.

Neuro Group

This month we re-vamped the bug house ready for filling with different habitats, and the hen house in preparation for the arrival of the chickens. We also collected different materials from the therapeutic gardens area and discussed which insects like living where. A smaller group of patients were then able to decorate and fill the bug house before moving it to its final location. Both now look much smarter and have provided opportunities for teamwork, developing communication, cognitive and fine motor skills. We hope also to have raised awareness of different ways to encourage wildlife into our own environments.

Fruit Tree Pruning

We returned to the orchard at Holmes Farm for summer fruit tree pruning and harvesting fruit. Plum and Damson trees were the focus, but the work done by patients last Winter has really benefited the apple and pear trees. This is such a good activity for a wide variety of therapeutic benefits: improving standing tolerance and balance as part of prosthetic rehab; increasing upper limb strength using different tools for making pruning cuts; developing concentration and ability to follow instruction and retain information; and of course, tree identification. We also were able to harvest a lot of fruit which we gave to staff and patients so crumbles, pies and jams all round.

Summer fruit tree pruning.

Patients weeding leeks.

Harvesting the Chillies.

A patient painting the bug hotel.

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