Gardening Club Blooms At Grosvenor Manor In Chester

A group of green-fingered residents at a Chester care centre have formed a new gardening club, with the aim of further enhancing the home’s beautiful outdoor space and creating a new kitchen garden to provide fresh produce for the catering team.

Led by resident Gwen Lewis, the team at Grosvenor Manor on Hatchmere Lane in Chester has rolled up its sleeves and is getting its hands dirty to prepare the garden for the forthcoming spring and summer months.

Borders are being weeded, existing shrubbery is being pruned and the home’s large outdoor planting pots are being re-developed with an assortment of new bulbs that will flower at staggered times to provide a variety of blooms throughout the seasons.

In addition, the talented team has created a superb new kitchen garden; planting a variety of herbs, fruit and vegetables that will hopefully result in fresh organic produce that can be used by the chef within the home’s daily changing fine dining menu.

Wellbeing coordinator at Grosvenor Manor, Lisa Forth, said: “Like most people, our residents have had plenty of time to appreciate their surroundings during the pandemic and have benefitted from the home’s beautiful garden which has provided a constant source of joy over the last 12 months.

“With many commenting on how much they used to enjoy gardening, Gwen suggested that they get more involved.  The project has blossomed from there; residents’ families have donated plants, bulbs, gloves, spades and forks and we’ve also bought a greenhouse to help nurture the seedlings as they grow and provide shelter for the team when outside.”

Gwen said: “I always enjoyed gardening at home, it was a place where I went to relax and loved looking after it through the changing seasons.  It’s great to be able to carry on with this now I’m at Grosvenor Manor and we’re excited to see the results of our hard work as the garden comes to life in the springtime.”

Lisa Forth concluded: “For our residents, the benefits of the gardening club are immense.  It offers positive social engagement and entertainment, enhanced wellbeing, improves dexterity, reduces depression and provides relaxation, sensory experiences and satisfaction.

It’s proving to be real passion project and it’s wonderful to see the residents really enjoying themselves.”