Teams tidy up and replant garden beds to provide colourful display
A green fingered team from a Devon garden centre are celebrating having injected an abundant amount of TLC into the sprucing up of a flowers beds at Ottery St Mary Hospital.
Otter Garden Centres mounted the makeover following an appeal from staff looking for help to improve the hospital’s flower beds for the benefit of patients.
Over a period of time, the flower beds had started to see more than their fare share of woody shrubs and brambles!
As such, the Otter Garden Centres team got to work to quickly remove the weeds – so the flower beds were ready for planting up this year.
At the same time, the hospital team, led by Gary Tootell, extended a small patio area for patients and colleagues at the hospital to sit out and enjoy the area.
Long-term garden centre team members, brothers Kevin and Neil Palfrey, recently visited the hospital with good quality soil and the aim of planting up the flower beds – with help from Gary and his colleague, Russell.
‘If you are feeling unwell, then having the chance to get outside for a while and enjoy flowers and nature can help to bring calm and lift the spirits,’ says Jacqui Taylor, Managing Director at Otter Garden Centres.
‘These are plants that pop into flower every year, with very little effort needed. We’re sure the hospital’s flower beds, with just a little TLC, will look equally stunning next year.’
Gary, Kevin, Neil and Russell at work
Enjoying the sight of flowers
The displays of cottage garden plants were chosen to make the borders a riot of colour and life and include lavenders, verbenas, dahlias, salvias and gaillardia.
It’s hoped patients will be able to enjoy the sight of the flowers which are also expected to be appreciated by bees and butterflies!
There are further plans for other areas to be revitalised during the year. The aim is to provide Winter and Spring gardens for patients, visitors and staff.
The revitalised flower beds
