1st July 2008

Sensory garden transforms lives

A chance visit on a sunny day has led to a new sensory garden for a registered care home in St. Ann’s.

Nottingham Community Housing Association’s Wells Road project for adults with learning disabilities had a garden just crying out for an area for residents to sit. But the scale of the work meant they couldn’t do it themselves and there was not enough money to do more in the Home’s gardening budget.

NCHA Communications Manager Debs Ramsden was visiting Wells Road one hot day last summer and asked why no-one was sitting outside. On being told the problem she went back to NCHA’s Head Office and asked for volunteers to set up a Garden Project.

Staff from all sections of the Sherwood-based housing provider volunteered to either donate time or plants or equipment; and a fund-raising programme was set up to provide fencing, paving and more planting. NCHA’s tenants even got in on the act, donating £500 from the Tenants and Resident Consortium.

A local gardener, Brian Yates of Whispering Gardens Handyman Services, donated his time and expertise at half price and even brought along plants donated by some of his private clients.

Two weekends of digging and planting by 10 volunteers from NCHA has resulted in a new and special part of the garden which has transformed the resident’s lives. A special quiet corner has been built with a love-seat in a pergola planted with sweet-smelling honeysuckle and herbs and bamboo to provide sound and texture.

Wells Road Manager Carmel Hopkinson said “This has become a whole new interest for our service users as well as being somewhere for them to socialise or just take some quiet time. Every night they take turns to water the garden and they love smelling the herbs and scented plants. We’ve been busy over the last few weeks making ornaments and bunting for the garden and they want to celebrate with friends and family at a garden party at 3pm on Friday 4th July.

 

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