St Vincent’s Care Services is celebrating the completion of a very special project at their Oxford Park Retirement Village in Mitchelton.
Their Community Garden for the Senses will be officially opened on Tuesday 4 November, but it’s already proving to be extremely popular with residents, visitors and staff alike.
St Vincent’s Care Services Facility Manager Linda Nicholson said the aim of the project was to create a welcoming garden where everyone in the community can enjoy hands-on sensory experiences.
The garden was developed with the assistance of The Lord Mayor’s Suburban Initiative Fund.
The wheelchair-accessible garden contains a mix of flowering plants, native shrubs, herbs, fruit trees and succulents, and is equipped with seating areas and shade sails.
The process has been consultative right from the planning stages. Residents and their families, staff and other visitors were all involved in the garden design and plant selection.
According to Mrs Nicholson, the Garden for the Senses is having a positive effect on the entire community.
“This project has brought so many people together. It’s been wonderful to see everyone enjoying this beautiful place, whether they’re picking herbs, tending to the plants, or just relaxing in the shade.
“We’ve also had a lot of interest from local schools who bring groups of children to visit the garden and the residents,” she said.
Oxford Park residents like Eunice Taylor are delighted the garden has opened.
“I’ve always had green fingers and I love visiting the garden in the afternoons. I pick greenery and flowers for my room and the tomatoes are very tasty,” she said.
Another resident Dora said the garden has made a big difference to her life.
“This is really a lovely place to be. It is so beautiful. Everywhere you look there is colour and it’s all so fresh and pretty. Everybody is very kind to work so hard to make it look beautiful for us.”
One of the most successful additions to the garden has been the chickens. The grounds staff at Oxford Park built a coop and an enclosed run so they can roam around safely during the day.
“The chickens are real tricks. It is great fun to watch them scratching in the garden and chasing each other around”, said resident Val Sugden.
St Vincent’s Care Services’ Community Garden for the Senses is open to visitors. For more information, call 1800 778 767.
