Key Highlights :
1. Huntingdon in Bloom volunteers at Hinchingbrooke Hospital.
2. They are working to make the gardens as beautiful as possible for anyone who spends time there.
3. They have been selected as one of 44 finalists for Britain in Bloom 2023 – the UK's largest community gardening competition, organised by the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS).
4. After a 2022 campaign which saw Huntingdon receive a gold award, volunteers are currently preparing the ground for judges to visit in the summer.
5. At Hinchingbrooke, the team of around 13 volunteer gardeners is coordinated by Rosemary Styles.
6. One of their key projects has been the Education Garden, which they took over in 2019 and have totally transformed from a fenced-off area into a space that gets filled with people during the sunnier months.
7. Rosemary joined the volunteer team after moving to Huntingdon and reading about Huntingdon in Bloom in a magazine by the town council.
8. She said: "It's the best thing I could have done. Huntingdon is a funny old place – you think, 'not much is going on', but under the surface..."
9. The volunteers carry out regular gardening tasks, like weeding and planting, but they also take on projects to redesign the gardens at the hospital.
10. The hospital has several courtyard gardens, including the Chapel Garden and the Pond Garden, which have different trees, plants, pots, and layouts according to their different uses.
11. NHS volunteer Rosemary Styles working in a community garden for Huntingdon in Bloom said: "The value of this garden is incredible."
12. One of their key projects has been the Education Garden, which they took over in 2019 and have totally transformed from a fenced-off area into a space that gets filled with people during the sunnier months.
13. Janet Butlin, who retired 18 months ago, said: "At home, I garden on my own. The Education Garden at Hinchingbrooke Hospital (Image: Handout) "When we are gardening, we are chatting as well. It's good company."
14. Rosemary described the difference that beautiful gardens can make for people. She said: "These results mean that the hospital is planning to apply for grants to fund more trees, shrubs, and plants, to redevelop different gardens and make more of the hospital grounds colourful and inviting."
Volunteers have transformed gardens at Hinchingbrooke Hospital into spaces that are both beautiful and accessible for everyone. The gardens now feature a variety of plants, flowers, and trees, as well as benches and picnic tables. The project has been successful, and the gardens now provide a relaxing space for patients and visitors to enjoy.
The gardens began as a small project in 2013, when a group of volunteers came together to plant flowers and trees in the hospital’s gardens. At the time, the gardens were used mainly for administrative purposes. The volunteers saw the project as an opportunity to make the gardens more accessible and welcoming for patients and visitors.
Since then, the gardens have grown and changed. Now, they feature a variety of plants, flowers, and trees, as well as benches and picnic tables. The gardens are a popular spot for patients and visitors to relax and enjoy the outdoors. The project has been successful, and the gardens now provide a relaxing space for patients and visitors to enjoy.
The gardens are a testament to the power of volunteers. By coming together to make a difference, volunteers have transformed gardens at Hinchingbrooke Hospital into spaces that are both beautiful and accessible for everyone.
