A Wiltshire care home has won a regional gardening competition.
Market Lavington care home in Devizes was announced as the South West regional winner in HC-One's national 'Gardens in Bloom' competition.
The yearly event encourages HC-One care homes across the UK to creatively engage with their outdoor spaces, showcasing the healing benefits of gardening, fostering local community connections, and advocating for sustainable practices.
Market Lavington care home impressed judges with its vibrant and inclusive outdoor space.
It features purpose-built, accessible raised beds designed to benefit wellbeing, community ties, and biodiversity.
The garden includes two wheelchair-accessible beds and two standing-height beds ideal for residents using kirtan chairs, allowing more residents to participate in gardening activities.
The Market Lavington care home team, alongside residents and local volunteers, worked tirelessly throughout spring and summer to transform their garden into a colourful, multi-sensory haven.
Residents were actively involved, planting flowers, fruit, vegetables, and herbs grown from seed, with help from local volunteers and donations from the community, including compost and materials sourced from reclaimed pallets and collars.
Anitha Jisson, care home manager at HC-One's Market Lavington, said: "We are so pleased to have received this award.
"The garden has brought so much happiness and connection to our home, and the benefits for residents’ wellbeing have been incredible.
"This space is more than a garden – it’s a symbol of community, care, and creativity."
For residents less inclined to gardening, creativity was expressed through painted plant pots that brought colour and charm to the space.
The garden design prioritises accessibility and mental wellbeing, with features including raised beds for ease of use, a pollinator-friendly planting scheme supporting bees and butterflies, and produce grown for fresh use in the care home kitchen.
Eco-friendly initiatives were also integrated into the project, including sourcing plants from a local nursery just a five-minute walk away to reduce CO2 emissions, compost donations from local villagers, and the reuse of materials that would have otherwise gone to landfill.
A new weekly gardening club has now been formed to keep the garden thriving and continue providing joy and purpose to residents throughout the seasons.
The HC-One Gardens in Bloom competition allows participants to explore imaginative ideas, from wildlife gardens to sensory patches and vegetable plots.
Based on creativity, community engagement, and sustainable gardening practices, five regional finalists, including an overall winner, are chosen from across England, Scotland, and Wales.
The regional finalists receive a plaque and a gardening hamper.
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