St Josephs care home celebrates residents' love of gardening

Residents at St Josephs care home in Sudbury have been rolling up their sleeves and enjoying the many benefits of gardening with a range of activities designed to help them reconnect with old hobbies, learn new skills, and spend more time outdoors.

One resident, Eileen, recently fulfilled a wish to lead a flower arranging workshop. Thanks to the care team at St Josephs, Eileen now hosts a monthly session where fellow residents can enjoy creating beautiful floral displays together. For her, it’s been a chance to share her skills while doing something she loves. The workshops have quickly become a firm favourite at the home, giving residents a chance to get creative and spend time together.

Another resident, Roy has also seen his wish come true after being given his own patch of the garden to maintain. It's given him the chance to get back into a hobby he’s always loved, with the added benefit of spending more time outdoors in the fresh air, tending to the space, and watching it take shape.

The gardening activities will continue to grow this September, when St Josephs welcomes local community group ActivGardens. The organisation brings together people of all ages and abilities to garden collaboratively within their communities. Residents will join volunteers on a variety of planting and gardening projects, giving them the opportunity to learn new skills and form new friendships, all while enjoying more time outdoors.

Jacqueline Court, Home Manager at St Josephs care home, said:

Gardening has brought so much happiness to our residents, and it's been lovely watching them pick things back up again, or try something new.

Whether it's leading the flower arranging workshop or looking after their own patch of garden, residents have really taken to it, and you can see how much it means to them. We can't wait to welcome ActivGardens in September and give everyone even more opportunities to get outside and spend time together here at St Josephs.

Roy’s family said:

Roy has always loved being out in the garden, especially when he retired, so when he told us that he had started gardening again at St Josephs, we could see how happy he was, and it brought back so many memories. We want to thank the home and its colleagues for making this happen and allowing him to reconnect with his past hobby.

For additional information about St Josephs care home, please click here.