Shrewsbury care home crowned regional winner in gardens in bloom competition

The HC-One Gardens in Bloom competition is an annual event where HC-One care homes across the UK come together with their local communities to create beautiful outdoor spaces for all to enjoy.

This year, residents at Lime Trees chose to create a relaxing garden full of colourful flower beds, and even started growing their own tomatoes. Karen Williams, the Home Manager at Lime Trees, said: "As well as wanting a beautiful outdoor area to soak up the sunshine, our residents wanted to add some wildlife friendly features to the garden this year.

"They used recycled materials to make bird feeders, and our local primary school children painted some fantastic ‘bee hotels’ which really made our residents smile."

Lime Trees was delighted when it was announced that they had won the regional award in the Midlands, which included a hamper packed with personalised gardening tools and sweet treats as well as a framed certificate.

They were selected after meeting the judging criteria, which included a demonstrated passion and effort towards community engagement and sustainable gardening practices.

Ninety-three-year-old resident and keen gardener, Eileen Pickup, said: "I love to grow flowers in our care home garden not just for myself, but for all of the other residents to enjoy."

Eighty-nine-year-old Doreen James added: "I’m looking forward to tasting the tomatoes I’ve been growing in our garden!"

You can find Lime Trees care home on Oteley Road, Shrewsbury, SY2 6GY. For more information call 01743 583 445, or email lime.trees@hc-one.co.uk.

By Terri Kidd - Contributor