The Feeling of “Home” in Allotment Gardening
NAPA National Activity Providers Association
Charity, professional body, learning provider - supports care sector to prioritise wellbeing, promotes meaningful engage
Finding a sanctuary where you can slow down, connect with nature, and nurture life is a rare treasure. For many, an allotment garden provides this very refuge. Beyond the practical benefits of growing your own food, an allotment offers a profound sense of beauty, belonging and home.
The beauty of an allotment lies not only in its visual appeal but also in the sensory experiences it offers. The vibrant colours of vegetables and flowers, the variety of textures from soft petals to rugged bark, and the flavours of freshly picked produce create a feast for the senses. The simple act of digging your hands into the soil can be incredibly grounding and therapeutic.
An allotment is a canvas for self-expression and creativity. Personalising your patch of land with elements that make it feel like home.
The Forget-Me-Not Allotment Appleby House, Care UK is a perfect example of how an allotment in a care service does just this. Shona Bradbury , Home Manager shares with you how they developed their allotment project.
Although we are lucky to have courtyard gardens for all our suites, we also had this large garden space that no one ever accessed. We love being creative and utilising spaces to benefit residents.?
We asked Dalia, team leader, who we know has her own allotment to run the project and by luck, at the time she was looking for a project to conclude the Master of Science in Dementia Studies. The rest is history!
Dalia created mood boards and consulted with all the residents to find out if they would like an allotment and what they wanted to grow. We consulted with the relatives and asked for donations of pots and plants. We invited relatives when they visited to visit the allotment and help with planting, weeding and watering.
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The Love Me, Love My Mind, local charity supporting people living with mental health started volunteering every Wednesday bringing in their wealth of knowledge with gardening.
The allotment project started in April 2023 and has exceeded all our expectations, the pictures every week tell a story. A relative has now purchased a huge greenhouse to allow wheelchair users and Care UK have agreed to add heating and lighting to allow all year gardening.
We have already enjoyed lettuce, potatoes, beetroot, swedes, runner beans that the residents take to the chef. The plan is for residents to take some of produce to the front of the home and ask passersby if they would like to take some of our produce.
In the end, the true beauty of an allotment garden is not just in the plants you grow but, in the joy, peace, and sense of home it brings into your life. So, embrace the journey of allotment gardening and let it become a cherished part of your everyday existence.
The garden engages all the five senses, fresh air, exercise, friendships, a sense of purpose and lots of laughter. We have other people supporting us and the local garden centre that love what we are doing.
This is how this space is the “heart of their home”.
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