Bury St Edmunds care homes win gold

 

Two care homes in Bury St Edmunds have won gold, taking centre stage for their theatrical gardens.

Care UK’s  Davers Court, on Shakers Lane, and Glastonbury Court, on Glastonbury Road, are celebrating after securing first place in Bury in Bloom, which judges over 20,000 gardens. 

The award commends enthusiastic gardeners who have used wildlife friendly plants and minimised plastic use. This year’s Bury in Bloom theme was ‘theatre’.

At Glastonbury Court, the residents and team created a yellow brick road inspired by the Wizard of Oz in the courtyard. Flowers were planted in themed pots, including witch’s legs and red shoes, which adorn the garden’s walkways and pergolas, and residents helped create hanging baskets to decorate bedrooms and balconies. Completing the theatrical inspired garden is the ‘Cats’ and ‘Joseph and the Technicolour Dreamcoat’ themed areas and plant pots. 

At Davers Court, residents painted theatre themed canvases, including ‘The Birds’, ‘Phantom of the Opera’ and ‘Cats’, which were placed around the garden. Later this year, keen artists Tessa Taylor, 84, Elfrida Cobbold, 83, Christine Thompson, 91, and Janet Hartup, 82, will be reusing the canvases to host an art exhibition at the home.

As part of the project, residents from Glastonbury Court and Davers Court visited local garden centres, including Dobbies, to buy flowers and seeds. Residents also enjoyed choosing fruit and vegetables which were planted earlier in the year, and have been picked, and cooked by the homes Head Chef to create home-grown meals.

As part of the Glastonbury Court spring and summer gardening club, residents enjoyed planting sweet peas, dahlias, cosmos sunflowers and wildflowers, as well as growing fruit and vegetables including carrots, runner beans, beetroot and strawberries. 

Judges at Bury in Bloom were particularly impressed to see the additional water butts across both homes since last year’s judging, as well as the new vegetable patches that promote seasonal and sustainable eating and a wildflower area, to encourage more insects into the home’s garden.

Ana Mihai, Home Manager at Glastonbury Court, said: “Here at Glastonbury Court, we’re thrilled to have won gold alongside Davers Court in this year’s Bury in Bloom. 

“We’re delighted to bring beautiful flora and fauna to Bury St Edmunds and creating gardens that have been designed to support independence, creativity and enhance resident’s health and wellbeing. Well done to everyone who has helped create our award-winning garden – I’m extremely proud!”  

Sophie Evans, Home Manager at Davers Court, added: “We’re delighted to have been recognised for our beautiful garden. 

“Our outdoor space has already been extremely impactful to residents – whether they’re looking to have a chat under the pergola while birdwatching, relax to the sound of running water beside our water fountain, or enjoy a bit of autumnal sunshine. 

“Congratulations are certainly in order to the team and residents who have been squirreling away all summer to create a wonderful space to help everyone lead fulfilling lives!”

Glastonbury Court and Davers Court are modern care homes providing full-time residential, nursing and dementia care, as well as short-term respite care, with Davers Court having also recently opened its new day centre. Designed to enable residents to live enjoyable and fulfilling lives, the homes have their very own cinema and hair salon, and there is plenty of space both in and outdoors for relaxation and recreation.