Mansfield care home participates in HC-One’s annual Gardens in Bloom competition
HC-One’s Berry Hill Park in Mansfield, has been busy transforming the garden area of their care home in a bid to win the winning title of this year’s HC-One Gardens in Bloom competition, following been part of the judging process to crown the overall winner by guest judge, Rachel de Thame.
The HC-One Gardens in Bloom competition is an annual event where HC-One care homes across the UK enter in the hope of winning in their respective regions. Five regional winners were announced across England, Scotland and Wales, as well as an overall winner being selected to receive a grand prize.
Winners were selected based on strict judging criteria, impressing guest judge, Rachel de Thame, who is a much-loved and celebrated green thumbed gardener, television presenter and actress. Entries submitted showed homes’ creativity displaying innovative garden designs and unique features, and demonstrated community involvement, including participation from residents and the local community.
This year there were no set categories, allowing homes to create their garden however they like, including creating a new fruit or vegetable patch, flower beds/boxes and wildflower gardens. Other ideas included creating dementia and sensory gardens or supporting local wildlife by creating bug hotels to attract and shelter insects, allowing homes to create a garden that best suits residents’ goals and interests.
This demonstrated sustainability through using eco-friendly practices and materials and creating a lasting impact by making sure homes can look after their garden in the long-term.
Residents and colleagues at HC-One’s Berry Hill Park care home got creative in transforming their blossoming gardens ready for the summer months. Gardening is actively promoted amongst HC-One’s care homes as it has a number of wellbeing benefits including encouraging intergenerational relationships with local schools and community groups who often get involved.
Gardening is also therapeutic, and time spent outdoors can significantly improve the mental and physical health of residents. Residents painted colourful bug houses that boosted biodiversity, and these are dotted around the garden and tied to bushes and trees. In addition, colourful plants in pots have encouraged more butterflies and bees over the past few weeks.
Members of the care home’s gardening club take part in the regular maintenance of the garden, watering plants and deadheading the flowers when required. They can also be seen each morning taking in the fresh air whilst exercising, enjoying the results of their hard work and talking about the beauty of nature.
Berry Hill Park care home’s Home Manager, Tara Spencer, said: “Residents, colleagues and the local community really enjoyed transforming the garden area of the home in a bid to enter this year’s HC-One Gardens in Bloom competition.
“I would like to thank all of our residents and colleagues for the hard work they have put in to transforming the garden.”
Rachel de Thame, HC-One’s Gardens in Bloom competition guest judge, stated: “I thoroughly enjoyed being a guest judge in this year’s HC-One Garden in Bloom competition and it was my pleasure to review the entries submitted by HC-One care homes.
“There was such a high volume and standard of entries. Thank you to everyone who participated and well done to Berry Hill Park on the amazing transformative work they’ve carried out on their garden area.”