An enthusiastic team at a nursing home that specialises in dementia care have been working with their green fingers to breathe new life into their garden.

The newly renovated garden at Hatherleigh Nursing Home has been completed in time for the sunshine to be enjoyed by the residents, who are fondly referred to as family members. Plants have been carefully selected to introduce colours, textures and smells into the environment, with beautiful flowers to encourage the bees to visit.

To ensure the new garden is accessible for everyone, gravel has been laid down for wheelchairs. A new water feature has been elevated with a plinth, bringing it to a height to be enjoyed through touch. Having interactive features in the garden offers the family members not only sensory stimulation but also a sense of purpose. Those with an interest in gardening can plant, water, and weed their garden as they would their own.

Otherwise, there are plenty of board games and al fresco dining to enjoy with friends.

There is also fresh decking that has been laid which will be used as a barbecue area, beautifully framed with tulips and daffodils.

One of the garden team, Ellie commented: ‘It just goes to show, with all the planning in the world, you just can’t know what your garden is going to surprise you with; I had not originally planned for the daffs and tulips to flower together, more to overlap each other slightly, but the two together are a lovely surprise as they work beautifully together.’ Pictured above, scenes from the garden.