This is a commercial landscaped garden project undertaken at Aspen Gardens - A residential care home in Stockton on Tees, Cleveland, Teesside.

Charis Gracey, the centre manager chose Green Onion Landscaping to carry out the landscaping project from a list of contractors who had given in tenders and  quotations.

Me and the team were honored to carry out this landscaping project and had really hoped we would be given the opportunity to help improve the residents daily lives. We know how important it is for elderly people to feel independent. We had chatted with several of the residents when we had visited the site to cost the job. They were really eager to have their new garden with raised flower beds and an area they could sit and chatter in the summer.

During our consultation, Charis explained that the residents would like a large paved patio to sit on, on the warm Summer days. They wanted somewhere outside where they could gather and chatter as well as admire their own planted flowers and tend to the vegetables they planned on growing.

Some of the elderly residents used to be keen gardeners, they were excited at the prospect of having the opportunity to have green fingers again.

They needed a low maintenance garden area where they would be able to grow vegetables and flowers. They were really enthusiastic about being able to keep their independence by doing some gardening in the place where they live. We decided that three raised beds would be built. These could be used for plants and vegetables.

The patio area was built directly off an existing paved area using the same paving stones - Buff Saxon- which are a yellow paving stone. The raised flower and vegetable beds had to be positioned in such a way that the residents could access them on all sides with wheel chairs and walking frames - raised beds are excellent for elderly or disabled people - there is no need for them to bend to reach the flowers or vegetables.

We built the raised beds at a height which allowed the wheelchair users of Aspen Gardens to work at them comfortably when planting or tending to the vegetables and flowers in the raised beds.

We edged the patio area with curved topped buff pin kerbs to give it a neat professional finished look. The pin kerbs also prevent wheelchair users from rolling off the sides of the patio in their chairs. Small gaps were left intermittently in the pin kerbs to allow for drainage. The raised beds were filled with top soil and compost ready for the residents to begin planting.

We also layed a new lush green turf for the residents, this extended right around the newly laid patio area and looked beautiful and green, it perfectly completed the landscape for them.

This landscaping job appeared in the Stockton News magazine. A copy of the article can be read in the News section of our website. We were delighted with the end result of this job and it was an absolute pleasure seeing the faces of the residents when it was officially opened for them. We were chuffed to bit for them. They were all so pleased to have an area where they would be able to do some gardening work of their own.

Testimonial

“The tenants are really enthusiastic about the project and they can’t wait to the planting started. We have a number of keen gardeners living here and this is a fabulous opportunity for them to continue a hobby they enjoy and we are sure the garden will bring pleasure to all our tenants now and in the future. The flower beds and patio look really fantastic. Thank you Andy and your team for your wonderful work.”

Charis Gracie - Services and Facilities Manager

Aspen Gardens, Stockton on Tees, Cleveland, Teesside.