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LIFE BEYOND THE MILITARY – OUTDOORS
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Our hanging basket session gets positive feedback and more workshops are planned for the changing seasons.

June 30, 2023

June has seen us planting out and trying to keep up with the endless watering and weeding in the dry weather. The squashes, pumpkins and courgettes are flourishing underneath the sunflowers in the walled garden so hopefully we will have a decent harvest this year, together with the onions which we have in abundance. Greenhouse tomatoes have fared less well, but the outdoor tomatoes are looking good. The Village Green has seen further delays so we await news of when the area can be finished and eventually used with patients and staff alike. The beds in place have been planted, with the front bed flourishing with perennials and annuals for summer colour.

Cut flowers

I am in the process of growing more flowers for cutting. The intention is to develop a wider variety of therapeutic activities for patients which could also be incorporated into seasonal crafts later in the year. I met with Melanie Arnold, who previously volunteered for HighGround, and now runs her own cut flower business, Corner Field Flowers, Mel is full of enthusiasm and was happy to show me around her allotment and share her knowledge with me. I am hoping Mel will be able to visit Stanford Hall over the summer to see our progress.

Hanging baskets

I hosted a staff health and wellbeing session recently to make up summer hanging baskets. It was a time out for staff to focus on themselves, learn about planting a hanging basket and have a display of flowers to take home. Feedback was positive with staff enjoying the session and the chance to spend time outdoors. More are planned for later this year covering different topics as we move through the changing seasons. There are some baskets and plants left over so this will also provide a good therapeutic activity for patients. It’s an opportunity to be creative with colour and arrangement, decision make and work on visual spatial awareness with an end result that lasts through the summer.

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Jane

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

Hanging basket workshop.

Cut flower allotment.

Cornflower.

Corncockle.