The season of change

November 13, 2024

The changing season also marks a change in staff as we draw to the end of our volunteers attending for this year and look forward to welcoming a new Horticultural Occupational Therapist to support the service. We continue to cut back plants and clear beds, have started sowing winter crops and continue seed saving ready for next year. The collection of dried flowers and decorative seed heads grows ready for incorporating into winter crafts.

Seed saving

It’s always good when we come full circle during the autumn and start to seed save as plants die back ready for sowing next year. There are so many different seed types and ways of saving seed. For patients interested in growing their own and learning more about collecting their own seed it can be a real eye opener to raise awareness of this process. It’s also a helpful way to work on manual dexterity, fine motor skills and can be a very absorbing activity in which to engage from a mindfulness perspective.

Winter baskets

We have swapped the summer hanging baskets now very much depleted with plants suited for a winter display. Winter pansies and violas for a splash of colour, ivy to act as a trailing plant and contrast foliage, with hardy herbs and heather for scent and texture. This is a good therapeutic activity for understanding that there are plants that can be grown through the winter but also for stimulating the senses, grounding and being creative.

Tomato seed saving

26/09/2024

Chilis drying

26/09/2024

Sunflowers and Lettuce

26/09/2024

Seed saving

26/09/2024

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