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Posted on 31 Jul 2020

Patients and staff on Jade Ward in the National High Secure Women’s Service (NHSWS) at Rampton Hospital, run by the Trust, have been busy working together over the past few months on transforming their ward garden. This garden has really helped promote the sense of community and is inclusive to all who are on Jade Ward, staff and patients alike no matter what their ability.

Due to lack of available plants and flowers due to COVID-19 and the lock down, the decision was taken by Nursing Assistant Debby Scully to remain positive and attempt to produce the garden from seeds and bulbs. The results have been fantastic! They have managed to nurture and grow such a variety of produce in a small space including tomatoes, parsley, chives, cucumbers, strawberries, marigolds, wildflowers and sunflowers.

Debby said: “The pride we all feel in watching it grow and change has been quite lovely to see. We have spent many evenings accessing the garden and the sense of achievement we all feel makes the initial hard work all worthwhile as it now starts to bloom. We even have our own snail patrol! It proves that ‘together, from little acorns mighty oaks grow’.”

To honour the NHS, the garden is entitled “Our Rainbow Garden” and the wooden sign proudly hangs on the wall outside as a reminder of how important these times are and how by working together anything is possible. The work does not stop here as they have now decided to develop a vegetable patch to include carrots, beans and potatoes.

A patient commented: “The garden project has been a god-send to us during the lockdown period. It has given us so much to focus on seeing the flowers grow. I can’t tell you how great it has been. We are over the moon with our work and want it to continue. I love getting my shorts and gardening shoes on and getting stuck in. I never believed I could enjoy it so much.”