Gardening Essentials

As spring starts to make itself known, you’ll be wanting to get out and about in the garden. Being able to use this space for your activities adds a whole new dimension to your schedule and there’s plenty you can be doing. Potting flowers is one of the best activities for your residents, as it can be done from a chair and table, though you can also set the more agile residents up to do deadheading, watering, light weeding and planting.

To set up a little gardening club you’ll need:

  • Gardening gloves (five or so pairs)
  • Small forks and trowels (five to seven)
  • Two plastic buckets
  • Potting compost
  • Seasonal plants/bulbs
  • Two watering cans

Monthly Potting Activities:

March/April: Spring pansies, polyanthas, gladioli, acidantheras and sweet peas.
May/June: Carnations, bush lobelia, bush petunia, bush fuschia, dahlias, foxgloves, Sweet Williams.
July/August: Colchicums, lilies, spring bulbs.
Sept/Oct: Winter pansies in pots, and spring bulbs such as snowdrops, bluebells, daffodils, tulips, crocus, hyacinths.