Our patients and staff’s hard work is rewarded with a Gold at Gardeners’ World Live.

August 31, 2021

The sunflowers are now holding their own and underneath lurks an assortment of patty pans, courgettes, squashes and pumpkins in the Pears Walled Garden. We are stocking a small basket of seasonal vegetables daily outside the shop in exchange for a small donation, and are finding that it very quickly empties.

All three of our Gardening Volunteers are now back on site and we continue to be grateful to have them back to help us.

We delivered another staff Health and Wellbeing session which was an opportunity to share the work we do on the Unit, as well as spend some time in our therapeutic garden areas.

Gardeners World Live

The main news this month though is that we have won a Gold Medal in the Beautiful Borders competition at Gardeners World Live for our garden ‘Make Do & Mend’ designed by Andy.

Most of the elements of the garden have been grown, built or created by patients in Horticultural Therapy sessions here at DMRC Stanford Hall. Alongside this we have had welcome donations of beech hedging, salvias, rudbeckia and geraniums. A loan of a hazel and weeping ornamental pear tree completed the picture. We are thankful to all the patients and staff at the DMRC for their support and to all the companies for their generous loans and donations: Miles Nurseries, Readyhedge, Middleton Nurseries, Green Mile Trees, Mr. Fothergill’s.

The building of the sentry box shed, bug hotel and picket fence enabled a variety of patients to work on their physical rehab: standing tolerance, balance, upper limb strength, hand-eye co-ordination and dexterity.

Deconstructing pallets to use the pallet wood, measuring wood ready for cutting, sawing accurately, using a drill and screwdriver to fasten the wood together all require physical stamina, strength and co-ordination. Decorating the shed and fence was an opportunity for creative expression. Growing the vegetable and ornamental plants used from seed and the subsequent pricking out of the seedlings, potting on the plants and watering was a chance to learn new skills to put into practice at home and develop cognitive skills such as memory, planning, organisation, sequencing. Being in nature is always good for mental health and the project gave us all an opportunity to work together as a team. All in all the therapeutic benefits range far and wide, and this was the most important element of the garden.

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Jane

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

Andy and the finished garden.

Gold Award.

Gardeners' World Live build team 3.

Gardeners' World Live build team 4.

Sunflower.

Metal poppy sculpture.

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