‘Onward and Upward’

June 30, 2019

We have been very grateful for provision of the greenhouse this month given the amount of rain we have had, and thankfully have been able to take refuge in there during therapy sessions with patients. Everything is growing, particularly the containers and planters in front of the greenhouse and village green. The raised beds in the Pears Walled Garden are progressing nicely, with the rose and perennial beds both blooming. A few of the squashes and pumpkins have had to be replaced after the heavy rains early in the month, but the sunflowers planted in-between are set to look spectacular and will provide more colour as Summer progresses.

Therapeutic benefits

Seed sowing, pricking out and potting-on all continue to be key activities during June to keep the greenhouse and planters full. This month patients have mainly been referred to assist with managing mood, aiding relaxation, and providing occupational balance. However, the above activities have been useful to practise pacing by alternating between sitting and standing, when completing the activity. They have also provided an opportunity for a patient to practise use of their upper limb in function to improve fine and gross motor skills, dexterity, and grip strength. Potting on can be graded by using various size containers which therefore offer different weights and type of grip to progress this activity.

Gardeners’ World Live 2019 at the NEC

The main news this month is the garden kindly designed for HighGround by Andy Tudbury from Halycon Garden Designs.

Entitled “Onward and Upward” it represented the rehabilitation journey taken by patients at DMRC Stanford Hall as described below:

A multi-level structure houses a hot tub utilised for therapeutic treatment, different levels of decking are set against the backdrop of trees, with the top level giving a feeling being amongst the tree canopy. The pathway to the building takes several turns. Finally the route to therapy is over stepping stones set within a rill.

It has been a huge amount of work for our Therapeutic Gardens Manager Andy Wright, who assisted with the build of the garden in very wet conditions. Our Gardening Volunteers, myself and the Executive Director of HighGround all visited the show to represent HighGround at the garden, and are very grateful to both Andys for all their hard work.

Belvoir Flower Show

Next stop Belvoir Flower show next month (13/14 July) where HighGround will have a stand, and Andy is building a small version of the Onward and Upward garden using re-purposed materials from the original garden.

Plans for future flower shows

We are intending to apply to enter a border garden for Gardeners World Live 2020. This will be a project with which we can involve patients over the course of the next year from planning and creating, to growing and planting. The Gardeners World project will be really exciting.

Neuro Group

We are set to start a new smaller Neuro group every fortnight with one of the Occupational Therapists from this department, which should be a good complement to the larger monthly group with the rehab assistants. This will provide an opportunity to work more closely with individual patients referred to work on physical and cognitive difficulties, in addition to offering the opportunity for enhancing wellbeing which Horticultural Therapy offers.

So, all very busy till next month.

'Onwards and upwards', Gardeners' World Live 2019.

Perennial bed walled garden.

Walled garden rose raised bed.

Village green planters.

SHARE THIS POST