Planting of The Village Green continues and we look at how one plant cycle can offer many therapeutic activities.

June 30, 2022

It has been a hot and sunny month making it a challenge to keep up with the watering. We have lots of plants and produce and have finally been able to make space in the Greenhouse as we have started planting out. Our hanging baskets and planters are blooming. A recent Farm Shop saw staff taking home more plants to grown on and our daily produce basket has been filled with broad beans, peas, cucumber and rhubarb all of which have disappeared by the end of the day. We are going to be looking after some new plants which have recently arrived in the Trailfinders café area to brighten up the area.

Village Green

Work on the Village Green continues, as a second bed is filled with topsoil (thanks to bstopsoil) with a third on the way. We have planted a second bed with a mixture vegetables and flowers, including sweetcorn and sunflowers which will provide screening as they grow. We now also have wood sourced from Stanford Hall which has been milled locally, and will provide us with the posts for the pergola which is the next phase of the project. This will be a good opportunity for patients who need to be assessed for work tolerance and hardening to engage in more physically demanding tasks.

One crop

It’s surprising how many different therapeutic activities can be generated from the life cycle of one type of plant. We grow tomatoes every year which means we can seed sow earlier in the year, prick out seedlings, pot on several times until in final growing space, pinch out the side shoots, stake, tie in, water, feed, harvest and finally eat, cook with and seed save to start again (thanks to Mr Fothergills) There is much to learn about each of these processes for those keen to learn as a leisure interest and perhaps share with friends and family. Cognitively we can work on following a process, direction and instruction and recalling information as we progress through each stage. All of these tasks are helpful for fine motor skills and can work on standing tolerance if done in standing so one plant creates lots of therapeutic opportunities.

Jane

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

Farm Shop stock.

First plants go into village green raised beds.

Sweet Williams.

New Kentia palm in Trailfinders cafe.

Autopots set up in Neuro greenhouse.

Planting of The Village Green continues and we look at how one plant cycle can offer many therapeutic activities.

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