Opened in 2021, Middlefields House is a 48-bed care home designed to feel like home. A big draw is the home’s large communal garden, where residents can sit back and enjoy a moment of calm, or get busy with sowing, planting and reaping the rewards, with veg from the garden often making its way onto residents’ plates at mealtimes.
One resident for whom the garden means a lot is Margaret, 88, whose fascination with plants began at an early age. “Even as a little girl in Wales I’d go out into the garden and gently open the daffodil buds thinking I was helping the sun get in so they could bloom,” she says. Margaret went on to study Botany at university and she and her husband – another outdoors-lover – enjoyed many years of gardening together.
Choosing Middlefields House primarily for its Christian ethos (the home is run by Christian charity Pilgrims’ Friend Society), Margaret was immediately excited when she saw the garden. “I thought the grounds were beautiful and could see the potential for getting involved,” she says.
At the heart of care at Middlefields House is a commitment to putting the desires of each person first. When Matthew Strevens, Activities and Community Engagement (ACE) Facilitator started at the home last year, one of the first things he did was convene a meeting of residents to find out what they were interested in.
“Margaret told me all about the Gardening Club she helps lead, and how she’d love to get more people involved,” says Matthew.
With the support of Matthew, the Gardening Club got into the rhythm of meeting every Friday afternoon. Over the spring and summer months, the raised beds and greenhouses became a hive of activity, with onions, beetroot, leeks and lettuces among the produce coming to fruition under the tender care of Margaret and her fellow Gardening Club enthusiasts.
“What’s nice is that even residents who are not able to be quite so hands-on have enjoyed watching what’s going on and sharing their knowledge and memories,” says Matthew.
Rainy days are no barrier to progress – the group simply moves inside to do a bit of planting in pots, or to spend the time browsing gardening magazines and planning their next step.
Also championing the efforts of the Gardening Club is the home’s official gardening team, headed up by Steve. “Margaret especially has developed a lovely relationship with the gardeners,” says Matthew. “She realised that they often started very early in the morning and so began leaving them notes tied with string, sometimes accompanied by a chocolate bar.”
Things like leaving the hose attached so it can be easily used by the Gardening Club and sourcing a compost bin are some of the ways the gardeners have lent their support. Head Gardener Steve has even become a regular face at Gardening Club and he and Margaret are working on a joint project to label the flowers and plants to add interest for anyone visiting the garden. Horticultural knowledge is exchanged, and Margaret has provided some botanical drawings that were of interest to Steve’s daughter with her studies.
For Margaret, gardening is not only about plants, it’s about passing on knowledge. She is excited that her great grandsons are becoming keen gardeners and planted their first sweet pea seeds at Middlefields House.
With spring in the air, Margaret and the Gardening Club are getting ready to step up their activities once again. Margaret is especially looking forward to getting going with the vegetables and developing the composting project. And, like every good gardener, she is praying the weather will be kind.
If you or someone you know could benefit from coming to live at Middlefields House in Chippenham, please call us 0300 303 8470 or email middlefields@pilgrimsfriend.org.uk. You can find out more about us here: pilgrimsfriend.org.uk/middlefields-house
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