There is something very therapeutic about gardening, and as you get older and have more time on your hands it is a lovely way to while away the hours. We are very proud of our garden; in the summer it is a wonderful place to sit and relax. Sadly, as the autumn rolls around there is not as much opportunity to get outside and get our hands dirty but that hasn’t stopped us preparing crops for next year.

Thankfully there are vegetables that can be planted all year round, onions being one of them. So, this week we got together with Gina from the housekeeping team to start potting. We have a very creative lifestyle team here; we have a great time together and their talents are wide ranging, but it is lovely to be able to spend time with other team members. I do enjoy the way the whole staff team get involved in activities, from the kitchen team to the care team, from housekeeping to management, they all love to join in.

Gina is a gardening whiz, and we enjoy hearing her tips and tricks, we lap up her enthusiasm. The potting activity had been set up as a surprise for us, we certainly weren’t expecting it when we walked into the room. The tables had been covered with old papers and there was compost and onion sets ready to be planted. 

We spent a very enjoyable morning with our hands in the compost, covering the bulbs and watering them, we swapped gardening stories and onion recipes. We all agreed that when the onions are grown, we will request a French onion soup topped with a cheesy crouton, something we are all looking forward to very much.