As many of you know, during the summer we ran a care home competition in which the winner won £1000 cash to use towards renovating their communal garden. However, alongside the cash we also wanted to offer some practical advice on how they could transform their space in the best way. The care home discussed how they wanted to make their garden space a place where all the residents could go out and enjoy the outdoors and wildlife, so our team of experts put their minds together to create the plan below.
Design Plan
As you can see from the above design, we wanted to create safe, smooth pathways for the residents to walk on compared to walking on the grass, and make it easier for wheelchair users to navigate. We suggested that the care home may also want to install railings alongside the path to provide extra support for those when walking in the garden.
The next important thing was to provide ample seating so the residents could relax and enjoy the garden comfortably. As you can see from the design, we have incorporated a number of wooden benches between the two central areas so that residents are able to sit and talk to each other, whilst also viewing the focus points.
On the left hand side we have a tiered water feature bird bath that will encourage the wild birds to come and bathe and drink from. This was a particular requirement from the care home, as they try and engage the residents in recognising the wildlife in the garden and discussing this as a group. The other benefit of having a water feature is the soothing sounds of trickling water. Alongside the noise of birds chirping, the calming sounds of water can soothe a busy mind.
It was also vitally important to include planters and raised beds in the design so those residents who were more able could still enjoy light gardening. The height of raised beds often helps those who are elderly or disabled because it puts less pressure on the back from bending down. A recent survey found that 79% of people believe access to a garden is essential for quality of life, so we thought it would be great to have the residents engage with gardening in a positive way.
In terms of which plants would work in this area we thought something fragrant would help engage the senses. Plants such as lavender emit a calming scent, known to improve cognitive function in dementia sufferers and also jasmine which is a natural remedy for relieving feelings of depression and stress. We believe the planting of these flowers would help to improve the residents’ wellbeing whilst enjoying the garden.
On a summers day when the sun is shining, we also wanted to provide areas of cover for the residents so they do not suffer from sunburn. In the design you can notice our plan to install two sail shades in the different seating areas. These sail shades are also waterproof so provide cover in rainy weather if they get caught in the rain! Should the residents want to be in the garden in all weathers, they may also enjoy sitting whilst the evenings get darker enjoying the dim light from the solar fairy lights installed.
Next steps
The design process is still in progress, and we will be sure to update you with the latest changes in the development of the care home garden. Fill us in with any garden designs you are planning over the winter too by commenting below or tagging us on Facebook. We can’t wait to show you the finished result in summer 2018!
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Zoë works in the Marketing team at Primrose, and is passionate about all things social media.
After travelling across Europe and Asia, Zoë is intrigued by different cultures and learning more about the world around her. If she’s not jet setting, Zoë loves nothing more than curling up with a good book and a large glass of red wine!
She is an amateur gardener but keen to learn more and get stuck in!