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LIFE BEYOND THE MILITARY – OUTDOORS
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Harvesting continues and patients learn about the life cycle of plants as we begin saving seeds for autumn and spring sowing.

September 30, 2021

After a sunny start to September there is a definite chill in the air and signs of the days drawing in. We have continued harvesting our fruit and vegetable crops. The pumpkins are getting bigger, and we have a good crop of ornamental gourds to provide an interesting talking point. Flowers and foliage are starting to fade providing plenty for us to cut back and tidy up in the perennials bed. Seed saving has started, and we are collecting dried flower heads for use in our wreath making later in the season. The chillies are finally fruiting after a late start to provide some autumnal colour.

Seed saving

This is a really good activity to work on manual dexterity and hand-eye co-ordination. It can be graded accordingly depending on the type and size of seed saved. From larger seed such as broad beans, to smaller sized seeds such as peas and sunflowers. It’s also a great activity to learn about the life cycle of the plant. Although some seeds will be stored ready to sow next year, we have saved our broad bean and sweet pea seeds ready to sow straight away. These will be overwintered ready for harvesting in 2022. I’ve found this a really helpful way to provide an overview of seed saving and sowing for patients who are with us for a short period of time, have no previous experience of gardening, but are keen to develop a new interest.

Botanical drawings

Thank you to Lynne Evans at POP gardens for providing inspiration with your seasonal seed boxes. We ordered two and as well as having seeds which can be sown this autumn there were some botanical drawings of the same plants for painting. This will be a really good mindful activity for some of our patients to do either in a session or individually in their own time whilst on the Unit. It has also given me ideas for designs to print on paper for making decorative seed envelopes for patients to take home to carry on growing, or to sell in our next Farm Shop.

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Jane

HG adheres to the latest government and unit policy in preventing the spread of COVID-19.

Ornamental gourds

Ornamental Gourds

GWL runner beans back at Stanford Hall and cropping well.

Aubergines and tomatoes for a Neuro patient to cook with.

Bee on one of our sunflowers.

Rudbeckia in the grounds.

First bonsai chillies.

Busy greenhouse after patient sessions.