This new Award is for charities that have encouraged residents to take part in community projects such as gardening. Five charities were presented with this Award for 2018.
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Hammersmith United Charities
The Charity has two sheltered schemes, John Betts House and Sycamore House, located in Hammersmith and the gardens are the jewels in the crown. They are completely concealed from external view and filled with hanging baskets and raised beds, where residents can plant vegetables and fruits in the summer. The gardens are an oasis in an urban environment and a platform for our residents to get involved in the various workshops and gardening projects that are run by Jackie our Community Gardener.
Jackie has built the gardens based on organic principles that help the environment by growing plants that attract butterflies, bees and birds; plants that are stimulating in colour, smell and texture. She works with residents so that they can be involved and become active in the gardens: setting up window boxes, hanging baskets and raised beds. As one resident said “everybody loves the garden, people who come here, (residents) and it had never occurred to them to have a flower pot, Jackie has encouraged them.”
Roger’s Almshouses, Harrogate, North Yorkshire
For the 150th anniversary of the charity, residents were asked if there was something they would like as part of the celebration. They indicated that they would like something to create more of a sense of community. The idea of re-landscaping the front garden with additional seating areas was put forward and a brief to have a garden that showed colour all year and was easy to maintain was set out.
The garden is largely herbaceous underplanted with spring flowering bulbs for early colour and has seats positioned to encourage residents to enjoy the colours, scents, butterflies and bees. The garden is popular and has brought residents out to chat together and admire the scents and colours of the lovely new garden area.
The Eventide Homes, Bournemouth
The almshouses are on a large estate in an urbanised part of Bournemouth next to a large shopping centre. There are almost as many trees as homes on the estate, which enhance the quality of life in the urban environment, and form an integral part of its shape, colour and diversity.
The Charity help facilitate a residents’ gardening club that meets once a month from March until October each year and residents are encouraged to participate. The aims and objectives are agreed with residents each year. The Club is an opportunity for residents to have a say in the appearance of the areas maintained by the Charity’s contracted landscapers and gardeners.
In 2018, the Residents Gardening Club won Gold in the Bournemouth in Bloom ‘Communal Gardens’ and ‘Hanging Basket’ displays. In addition, they also received a Councillor’s Award for being ‘Blooming Marvellous’.
In 2018 a resident left a bequest to the charity and trustees decided to use this to provide a Sensory Garden which would serve all, especially our less mobile residents, who may find it difficult to access a garden ordinarily. The idea being that those folk who are less able, who enjoy to garden, are able to access a space where they can get involved in planting or just meet, sit and enjoy the outdoor space.
Tiverton Almshouse Trust
It was decided to create a flower garden in a backyard area of Greenway Gardens almshouse site. Forty residents live here ranging in age from 60 to 90 years. The trust provided a raised area of wooden pallet construction for residents to be able to have their own pots, take control of planting, watering and deadheading as necessary.
Before this initiative the area was a functional space with wheelie bins and access to the communal laundry facilities. It is now an area full of colour which has brought residents together and has become a meeting place where focus is on the colours and plants. A core group of residents have come together to look after the area and were awarded a Community Garden Trophy and a certificate of merit from RHS.
St Giles Almshouses at Wilton United Charities
For years, the gardens at St Giles comprised two front lawns with shrubberies and a large tree, with a paved courtyard behind. Most residents had already put up their own hanging baskets and planted pots to cheer up the courtyard and the seating area by the front lawns and wanted to do more. The Trustees were very pleased when a couple of residents asked if they could take over the front borders too and make them more colourful.
A professional tree surgeon was hired to thin the tree by a third so more light could fall on the borders and the residents pruned the shrubs to gain more space for planting. The Trustees added a large storage shed for tools and a mower in the courtyard for communal use and a space for garden furniture that needed to be stored for the winter. Last year we appointed a new resident, Mrs Bridget Read, who turned out to be a most enthusiastic gardener. She has transformed the garden from a mostly green area into a blaze of colour and added some attractive stone ornaments from her previous home. Passers-by have commented how lovely the gardens are now, and it was awarded First Place in the local “Wilton in Bloom” Award.
Another resident, although a ‘reluctant gardener’, was inspired to use his own talents to completely renovate an old wooden bench. He repainted the cast iron ends and expertly replaced and varnished new wooden slats. Now all the residents can sit in this sunny spot to enjoy their beautiful garden.
The Trustees are pleased that not only has this garden been a real asset and enhancement for St Giles Almshouses, but it has enabled the residents to have a place where they can get to know each other and socialise.