Jack Beddows has been the head gardener here at Barrowhill Hall for over four years. Our home has a large garden, which he has evolved whilst keeping the residents at the heart of all his garden planning and decisions.

Three years ago Bob Flowerdew, from Radio 4’s ‘Gardeners’ Question Time was a special guest at our home, where plans for a dementia-friendly garden were discussed. With hard work and dedication and despite delays due to COVID and lockdown, Jack has brought the plans to fruition.

He has created a dementia-friendly garden and is always “inspired” by the care home’s residents.

He says,

“For me, having a dementia-friendly garden is all about making it a sensory space, which positively impacts the residents. I make sure everything we do in the garden is tailored to their needs. I prioritise scents, bright colours and textures and we use a lot of very tactile plants, which the residents get a lot of enjoyment from.

“A great part of my job is chatting to the residents, they love a chat! They’ll ask me the names of the different plants and they let me know the garden is looking nice.”

Jack uses foliage with powerful aromas including Lavender plants, Rosemary bushes and Bay trees, which is the most appealing thing about the garden for resident Joan Gough, 79.

She says, “I love looking at and smelling the flowers, it brings back memories of my own garden.”

Jack makes the garden inviting, inclusive and accessible. He explains, “We have wide flat paths for easy access, outdoor seating and social areas and I use raised beds and hanging baskets to give our residents better access to the flowers without having to bend down.

“I always prioritise the flowers beds next to the home’s windows and these beds have also been extended so the residents can enjoy the garden as much from indoors as outdoors. I make sure the hedges and trees are trimmed so the residents and visitors can enjoy the extensive views across the countryside.”

Resident Diann Boden, 73, likes walking in the garden and makes the most of the outdoor seating, she says, “I enjoy sitting on this bench because I love looking at the beautiful views over the fields.”

Val Barnes, activities coordinator at Churnet Lodge, the home’s specialist household for those living with young onset dementia says, “Being younger, a lot of our residents have different needs to the main house and are very mobile, so the garden is a space we utilise a lot. We play games out there, our residents help with the gardening and plant bulbs, it’s also the inspiration for a lot of our art and craft sessions!

“There’s a lot for our residents to look at, they enjoy watching the birds on the bird feeders and we have the cows which come up to the perimeter fence. The dementia-friendly garden is also a very peaceful place and being able to touch the leaves gives our residents a physical connection with nature, which is very calming and grounding.”

Jack says, “Although I’m the gardener here our garden is certainly a joint effort with lots of people getting involved. It’s very rewarding to know it brings so much joy to the residents.”