“Access to gardens can enhance focus and attention, as well as reducing anxiety and boosting self-confidence. Additionally, the garden can be considered a dynamic environment offering diverse opportunities for learning.” –[‘Green Spaces – Outdoor Environments for Adults with Autism’ by Katie Gaudion and Chris McGinley.]

At Apple House care homes we know that our outdoor spaces are as vital as indoor space for those who reside at our services.  For many years we have actively encouraged residents to take ownership of their garden space, to use it in a way meaningful to them. Perhaps this year, even more than previously, we value our outdoor spaces, fresh air and the gentle exercise of gardening.

At Apple House care home, residents enjoy 100ft of garden and actively shop for plants, tend seasonal blooms, help with garden maintenance and enjoy sitting out with a cuppa to admire the results.  Redcroft, Little Amberwood and Summerwood care homes also rear and nurture their own hens, with Summerwood residents even designing and building a hen house.  Growing vegetables is the norm here: eating home grown organic veg and free range eggs is tremendously rewarding in itself as well as nutritiously beneficial.  

Results-based activities such as these also foster a sense of ownership and achievement.

Sensory gardens incorporate textures, actions and movement, sounds, smells, colour.  At Summerwood care home in Hampshire, our registered manager, John, and residents created a sensory garden that blends all of the above.  We also offer garden space that is restful and calming, without additional sensory stimulation.

All of our services now have log cabins in their grounds. Redcroft care home, in Bournemouth, has a fabulous activities cabin nestled beside the hen house. Instead of slicing a path through the lawn to reach it, residents and staff planted a sensory path including lavenders, herbs such as thyme, rosemary and mint. Imagine the scents released as fingertips brush along the heads of the blooms and leaves as you walk to and from the cabin which again is fragrant with the scent of pine wood.  Texture is as import as scent and so there are fleshy, course foliage and soft silken leaves and tickly grasses.

While seasons and nature will continually change garden space, it’s important to us that we facilitate enjoyment of what is a wonderful commodity all year round.  The cabin enables residents to connect with their garden and to feel part of their outdoor space even in the winter.

We are ready for Spring, are you?

Nature Garden Creation, Third and Fourth Sessions:

“Sessions 4 and 5 saw a continuation of the process of creating a footpath through the garden to ensure everyone has access. It was heavy work, but the end results were noticeable and made the efforts worthwhile. One highlight was digging round the fallen tree and in doing so starting the process of turning this once magnificent tree into a marvellous seat.

The team also noticed that, like many pop bands before, they now have their own fan club, although instead of screaming fans the team have a devoted following of local Robins who take great delight in investigating the team’s hard work for food.

Session Six:

Session 6 was relatively short in the garden due to the unpredictable English weather (RAIN !!). However, we did manage to clear all the loose foliage from the area where there are bird bath stands. We also removed a lot of dead branches from around the large tree at the back of the garden (you could say we spent our time getting rid of a lot of deadwood) which we intend to make the centre piece of our future bird neighbourhood.

Although rain halted play in the garden, we diverted our efforts into researching actions/steps we could undertake to attract more wildlife.

Sessions Seven, Eight and Nine:

Sessions 7, 8 and 9 of our nature garden creation project were spent clearing a path to the area that will become the BBQ/Quiet area. The team worked very hard and uncovered many unexpected items such as the large rocks pictured in the first picture below. We also started work on clearing the foliage from the rockery as we have now also decided to overhaul the Sensory area and add to the hard work carried out several years ago.

To be continued! Please check back here soon.” — David Dellow, Redcroft.

“Access to gardens can enhance focus and attention, as well as reducing anxiety and boosting self-confidence. Additionally, the garden can be considered a dynamic environment offering diverse opportunities for learning.” –[‘Green Spaces – Outdoor Environments for Adults with Autism’ by Katie Gaudion and Chris McGinley.]

At Apple House care homes we know that our outdoor spaces are as vital as indoor space for those who reside at our services.  For many years we have actively encouraged residents to take ownership of their garden space, to use it in a way meaningful to them.

At Apple House care home, residents enjoy 100ft of garden and actively shop for plants, tend seasonal blooms, help with garden maintenance and enjoy sitting out with a cuppa to admire the results.  Redcroft and Summerwood care homes also rear and nurture their own hens, with Summerwood residents even designing and building a hen house.  Growing vegetables is the norm here: eating home grown organic veg and free range eggs is tremendously rewarding in itself as well as nutritiously beneficial.  Results-based activities such as these also foster a sense of ownership and achievement.

Sensory gardens incorporate textures, actions and movement, sounds, smells, colour.  At Summerwood care home in Hampshire, our registered manager, John, and residents have created a sensory garden that blends all of the above.  We also offer garden space that is restful and calming, without additional sensory stimulation.

Redcroft care home, in Bournemouth, has a fabulous new activities cabin nestled beside the hen house. Instead of slicing a path through the lawn to reach it, we (residents and staff) will be planting a sensory path including lavenders, herbs such as thyme, rosemary and mint. Imagine the scents released as fingertips brush along the heads of the blooms and leaves as you walk to and from the cabin which again is fragrant with the scent of pine wood.  Texture is as import as scent and so there will be fleshy, course foliage and soft silken leaves and tickly grasses.

While seasons and nature will continually change garden space, it’s important to us that we facilitate enjoyment of what is a wonderful commodity all year round.  The cabin will enable residents to connect with their garden and to feel part of their outdoor space even in the winter.

We are ready for Spring, are you?

🔊 Listen to this

There have been many studies that highlight the many benefits of accessible gardening.  This means that a garden, and gardening, is designed in such a way as to not form barriers to those with a wish to garden or to touch and enjoy the many sensory delights that a garden can yield.

Our homes each have large and varied gardens:  Apple House has one hundred feet of lawn, of blooms and fruit trees that produce apples for baking.  Summerwood is in the process of further developing its sensory garden which is one of two quite distinct gardens private to the home, the second being more conventional with a hen house and free ranging chickens, a lawn and flower beds and a place to sit and relax.  At Redcroft, the garden is vast, again with chickens and now guinea pigs, with many trees offering leafy shade, and now with raised beds (as seen above).

The two raised beds will be planted with vegetables and have been hand built to our specifications to facilitate access by wheelchair users, at a useful height, with level access. The satisfaction of choosing, planting and nurturing one’s own plants can be a special experience.  To harvest vegetables and to prepare and cook them is even better!