Last week’s dementia café turned into a gardening session as Donna, a horticultural therapist who works with Alzheimer’s Society, led participants in planting bulbs and seeds – all without making too much of a mess!
Horticultural therapy – or therapeutic horticulture – involves working with plants and people to bring positive improvements to people’s lives. This applies to people in all walks of life, and it has been amply demonstrated that contact with gardens and nature can have a significant impact on people’s emotional and mental wellbeing as well as physical health.
Donna came armed with shed loads of bulbs, seeds and plastic pots and soon had everyone digging their hands into bowls of compost – after the drinks and chocolate biscuits, of course!
We all finished the session with a pot with gladioli bulbs to take home for the garden and a tray of sunflower seeds planted in compost balls for a sunny windowsill. Our thanks to Carol and Donna for organising a fantastic afternoon!
And while we’re on the subject of gardens, just look at how the garden at the front of CLM looks with the work done by a couple of the asylum seekers. What a beautiful array of colour to have by the main entrance! Thank you Amin, Javad – and Alan!