Oakland Care’s Biodiversity Projects Support National Gardening Week

National Gardening Week 2023 was celebrated at the start of May and the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS)  launched new initiatives to encourage more people to participate in gardening! It’s fantastic to see how the gardening community has grown over the years with the help of initiatives like the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).

At Oakland Care, our residents are increasingly interested in how their gardens and outdoor space can be used to deliver sustainable projects that can help nature’s recovery. At the heart of this is biodiversity and our care homes are undergoing a remarkable revolution as our team members and residents bring life-enhancing #biodiversity projects with inspiring outcomes!

At our Maplewood Court Care Home, work is commencing on our flagship wildlife garden with the help of the Kent Wildlife Trust to create a garden to boost biodiversity for the whole community. Plans for the garden are underway, with cleaner air and rejuvenation of local wildlife at the top of the agenda – with many residents at the centre of planning and implementing the green vision.

Residents have helped to grow plants for the space and bring in some of their favourite flowers to leave a lasting legacy that will benefit the whole community.

Christine Smith, 75, is looking forward to cuttings from her family’s garden taking root. “I’ve contributed a cutting from a Japanese Maple that I’ve always loved,” she said. “It will be fantastic to see it every day and share it with friends here and the community.”

Fellow Maplewood Court resident Frances Walker, 88, is thrilled at being able to have a positive impact on the environment; she said: “The garden is our contribution to a worldwide problem.”

We hope to see positive effects of introducing green spaces for our residents, from improved physical and mental well-being to a greater appreciation of nature.

Also, at our Elmbrook Court Care Home, our residents will spread their toast with their ‘own honey’ after taking delivery of two bee hives.  Team members and residents will care for the bees in the meadow beyond its garden, where wildflowers will provide the bees with pollen in the summer months.

Janet Menzies, 87, is looking forward to the fruits of the bees’ labour. “It’s so exciting to have these in the meadow!” she said. “It will be wonderful to have our own honey, and as well as eating it, we can make soap from it. I didn’t know that would be possible – even at my age, I’m learning something new.

The hives are just one part of the home’s ‘Three Bs’ project – Bees, Bugs and Butterflies – which aims to encourage wildlife into the meadow. As part of the project, children from Charlton Primary School will make regular visits for science lessons. The meadow will also be home to bug hotels that the children are creating.

These green spaces will provide an interesting and attractive area for our residents, their families and the local community.

Discover more about Oakland Care’s biodiversity journey