Ideas For Making the Most of Your Care Home Garden Space

A care home garden is more than just a patch of green; it’s a sanctuary, a source of stimulation, and a space for connection. For residents of a residential care home, and those visiting loved ones, the garden offers a wealth of opportunities for enjoyment, relaxation, and therapeutic benefits. Here’s how to make the most of your garden space:

• Creating a Sensory Experience:

Fragrance: Plant fragrant flowers like roses, lavender, jasmine, and honeysuckle to stimulate the sense of smell and evoke memories. Herbs like rosemary and mint also offer wonderful aromas and can be used in cooking activities.

Colour: Incorporate a variety of colourful flowers and plants to create visual interest and stimulate the senses. Consider different blooming seasons to ensure year-round colour.

Touch: Include plants with different textures, like soft lamb’s ear, spiky succulents, or smooth pebbles. Encourage residents to touch and feel the different textures.

Sound: Introduce wind chimes, a small water feature, or bird feeders to create soothing sounds. The gentle sounds of nature can be calming and relaxing.

Taste: Plant fruit trees, berry bushes, or a small vegetable patch. Residents can enjoy the fruits of their labour and participate in gardening activities.

• Promoting Activity and Engagement:

Accessible pathways: Ensure paths are wide, level, and wheelchair-friendly, allowing everyone to navigate the garden easily.

Raised beds: Elevated planting beds make gardening accessible for those with limited mobility or who prefer to garden while seated.

Seating areas: Create comfortable seating areas with benches, chairs, and tables where residents can relax, socialize, or enjoy activities.

Activity zones: Designate areas for different activities, such as a putting green, a game area for boules or croquet, or a space for gentle exercises.

Gardening club: Encourage residents to participate in a gardening club where they can plant, weed, water, and harvest together.

• Fostering Social Connection:

Communal spaces: Create areas where residents can gather for social events, like barbecues, tea parties, or musical performances.

Outdoor visiting areas: Provide comfortable and private spaces where residents can visit with family and friends.

Intergenerational activities: Invite local schools or community groups to participate in gardening projects or outdoor events.

Pet-friendly areas: If the care home allows pets, create a designated area where residents can interact with animals.

• Supporting Therapeutic Benefits:

Therapeutic garden: Design a specific area with features that promote relaxation and wellbeing, such as a sensory garden, a meditation space, or a quiet corner for reflection.

Nature walks: Encourage residents to take short walks in the garden to enjoy fresh air, sunshine, and the sights and sounds of nature.

Horticultural therapy: Incorporate gardening activities into therapeutic programs to promote physical activity, cognitive stimulation, and emotional wellbeing.

• Enhancing the Environment:

Wildlife-friendly planting: Choose plants that attract bees, butterflies, and birds to create a vibrant ecosystem.

Sustainable practices: Use eco-friendly gardening methods, such as composting, water conservation, and organic gardening.

Seasonal decorations: Decorate the garden for different seasons to create a festive atmosphere and mark the passage of time.

Ideas for Families:

Personalized touches: Help your loved one personalise their outdoor space with potted plants, bird feeders, or wind chimes.

Outdoor activities: Engage in outdoor activities together, such as reading, playing games, or simply enjoying a cup of tea in the garden.

Gardening gifts: Give gifts that encourage outdoor enjoyment, like gardening tools, comfortable seating, or birdwatching books.

Memory lane: Reminisce about past gardening experiences or create a memory box with photos and mementos related to nature.

Volunteer your time: Offer to help with gardening tasks or participate in outdoor activities with residents.

By creating a welcoming, engaging, and stimulating garden space, care homes can provide residents with a valuable resource for enhancing their quality of life. Families can play a vital role in supporting this by participating in activities, personalizing the space, and encouraging their loved ones to enjoy the many benefits of the outdoors.