Green fingered staff transform Furzehatt’s garden

Residents at our Furzehatt Residential and Nursing Home in Plymouth have seen their garden transformed ‘Ground Force’-style, thanks to the care home’s green-fingered staff.

The team donned gardening aprons and gloves, to strip back bushes and tackle troublesome ivy, transforming the outdoor space in just six days.

The garden makeover was designed by the home’s deputy manager, Debbi Bowler (inspired by Alan Titchmarsh!), and now boasts two beautiful water features and a tortoise garden, which will be home to Furzehatt’s resident reptiles, Malcolm and Murtle. A bird table and a host of plants were kindly donated by residents’ loved ones.

The revamp has also seen the introduction of a new vegetable and herb garden to encourage residents with a passion for gardening to grow and harvest their own produce, which will be used by the care home chefs to create delicious meals for the residents.

Home Manager Rebecca Archer commented: “This summer I could not be more proud of our team, joining together to create the home’s beautiful new gardens! Come rain or shine the team were in the garden designing, digging, and planting a variety of plants, trees, fruits and vegetables that everyone can enjoy.

“This project, led by our fabulous housekeeping team, is just one example of how our team go above and beyond every day to support our residents to live enriched and fulfilled lives. We know that spending time outdoors has so many benefits for residents’ wellbeing and are proud to be able to offer our community a blooming lovely space to enjoy this summer.”

This is part of a nationwide initiative by Sanctuary Care to empower residents to play an active role in the running of their homes. The project was introduced following academic research which found that a sense of achievement is key to living an enriched later life.

The therapeutic qualities of gardens are also increasingly recognised as a way to improve the health of care home residents, with studies showing that gardening therapy can improve the wellbeing of people living with dementia, encouraging social interaction and evoke powerful memories.

For more about life at Furzehatt, or any of our other care homes, our Enquiry Support Team is here to talk on 0800 3317 422.