Growing gardens to inspire

It’s no secret watching the garden grow has many benefits.

NVC Group Service Manager, Joane Leicht, said aged care home residents at Cedar Place have started a spring garden project to gain physical and mental health benefits.

“Our aged care home’s maintenance team purchased four, new raised garden beds and rejuvenated one existing raised garden bed for our garden project,” Mrs Leicht said.

“Cedar Place’s residents got together and planned their garden and then planted out rainbow spinach seedlings, lettuce, marigolds and petunias last week.

“One of our goals for the garden project is for our residents to be able to eat the things that we grow in the raised garden beds and to also enjoy the new and colourful surroundings.

“This garden project organised by one of our talented Recreational Activities Officers, Jo Rowsell, has encouraged physical activity, mental stimulation, as well as creating new calm spaces to visit over the coming spring and summer.”

Ms Rowsell said she found delivering the project extremely rewarding. One of her favourite aspects of the project was leading rock painting classes with residents and then having the group place their rock around the base of two bird baths.

Because of the widespread benefits of gardening, NVC Group encourages planting at all three of its aged care homes in Macksville, Nambucca Heads and Kempsey.

Possibly the best-known gardening project associated with its homes is at Autumn Lodge in Macksville. Here there are vegetable planter boxes planted out and cared for by Autumn Lodge resident Stanley Young, located beside Blue Gum Café. In his younger years, Mr Young was a horticulturalist, so gardening is a labour of love for him.