The works began on the garden and would continue for my remaining time on the internship. We were slightly delayed as BT sent a team, as a part of their charity pledge, to clean up the garden; however they had not completed their works and the wooden borders containing the existing raised beds had been damaged.
As the garden hadn’t been maintained or weeded for more than several years a good deal of time was spent clearing these weeds and trees growing out of the patio slabs. We were again delayed as we weren’t clear to use chemicals in the garden as there were several pets and we didn’t want to risk poisoning them.
Only once the area was cleared were we able to more accurately judge the amount of work required to just repair the garden. Getting rid of the weeds revealed how the hardcore mixture between the patio slabs had deteriorated. Correcting this would put us further behind schedule.
During this time one of the most fulfilling aspects is getting the residents of the home involved. Most are very eager to help out and learn new skills. We’ve been teaching the more capable of them DIY and gardening skills so they can maintain the garden afterwards without the help of others. When I was researching I found that routine is extremely important for individuals with degenerative diseases, gardening is a fantastic way for them to leave the house and still be in a safe environment. Its also a reliable activity that they can do daily and goes hand in hand with the sustainability of the garden.