Resident shares gardening tips for National Houseplant Week

Dennis Roft, resident at Pegasus Court housing scheme who won a national gardening competition run by Anchor, is encouraging people across the country to start gardening for National Houseplant Week.

National Houseplant Week, held annually in the UK starting on 10 January, celebrates gardening and inspires people to begin planting in their own homes.

Dennis won Best Individual Garden in our 2021 Gardening Competition. The annual competition is open to our residents across the country and is extremely popular with over 400 entries received in 2021 across our different properties from retirement housing, retirement villages and residential care homes. The best gardens are chosen across five categories including Fruit and Vegetable, Communal Garden, and Baskets and Tubs and winners are awarded with prizes and praise across the organisation.

Filled with a variety of flowers including marigolds, geraniums, rose bushes, and hydrangeas, Dennis’ personal garden has brought colour and joy to his home and the wider housing scheme. He was absolutely thrilled to have won the competition, as was the team at Pegasus Court.

Tina Robins, Manager of Pegasus Court, said:

It’s brilliant that Dennis’ hard work and know-how for gardening has been recognised across Anchor. He’s a wonderful part of Anchor’s Pegasus Court housing scheme and is always helping his neighbours with the support of his wife.

Dennis, who was born in Watford and grew up on Waterdell Farm, started working as an apprentice for a garden company at just 15 years old. In 1970 he started his own landscaping business with his brother and a friend. Although now retired, Dennis still enjoys gardening every day and helping others with their own gardens. He said:

I love everything about gardening but especially watching things grow, being around nature and getting fresh air.

Dennis moved to Pegasus Court housing scheme over six years ago, and is a proud great-grandfather of four. He is encouraging people to garden in their own homes with their own houseplants and has shared his advice for getting started.

My tips for anyone starting a garden or having houseplants would be to have patience and don’t rush things. Prepare the ground or pot well, use a good manure and fertiliser, dead head regularly and water well in hot weather. Most importantly, enjoy the process!