Gardening at the hospital.

[lottielady]

I've just got back from 'signing' up as a volunteer to join in with this scheme at my local hospital.

The Hospital Gardens

There are 6 courtyards that are having a facelift, and as most of the hard landscaping has been done <bigsighofreleifsmiley> they need help with the planting and possibly maintaining them. Tomorrow afternoon I am going back to help them make sculptures for the Snail Courtyard and I get to meet the lady who designed the garden. I'm really looking forward to it and hope that I can learn a lot from it and make it look nice for all the patients.

I was a bit worried that I wouldn't be able to join in until all the checks have been done, as sometimes they take weeks and weeks to get back, and thought that I would be too late to join in with the planting but I can start as soon as they have the two personal references back.

Just wanted to share my excitement!

LLx

[Susie Snowdrop]

Good for you Lottie

Keep us updated as to progress won't you?

S x

[Deleted]

Ooooh, what a brilliant idea. You're an absolute LL

Do keep us updated with how you get on won't you.

FA x

[roxann57]

What a great project LL I am sure you will get a lot of pleasure out of it - hope to see some pics too

[Cheerypeabrain]

I've thought of volunteering at my local hospital...as if I don't spend enough time there already! They have some lovely courtyards that used to be well tended but seem to have fallen by the wayside of late (CUTS!)

Maybe next year... ;D

Well done LL...a lovely garden lifts the spirits and aids recovery...

CPBx

[Deleted]

We've just done some fund raising to do our courtyard we raised over £700 and have purchased some picnic tables.

We've purchased these from the Training and Guidance crowd who do this type of thing as part of rehab. They will build the tables, lay slabs for them to sit on and then we need to raise money for the planting.

[isabella]

That's brilliant LL - look forward to seeing some piccies sometime

[lottielady]

Thanks everyone, I will be off in a mo to hinder help make the sculptures for the Snail Courtyard, I will take the camera just in case I can take a 'before' photo of what they are making.

LLx

[lottielady]

Here is my feeble attempt at doing 'Art'!

We had to make clay moulds of what I would call shell fossils and then fill them with plaster of Paris, I was thinking fossil = natural stone while I was making mine, then we were shown an example of a completed one and it was metallic and shiny as they covered it in graphite - I thought they looked like something from Aliens but what do I know about art!

The first 2 photos are my one, it is a bit on the small side and a very simple design compared to the others. I really like the last one as the girl that did that really put her own creativity into it - I did as I was told

Oh and they look like they have been made out of chocolate too

Clay Moulds

Next week - covering them in graphite!


LLx

[Susie Snowdrop]

Oooh, you are a clever sausage....errmmmmm......snail

Can't wait to see the finished article......well done you

S x

[lottielady]

I've been back today to talk to the designer. Well it's going to be hard work! There is a semi finished planting plan, quite a few trees are already established from the original planting Amelanchier, Silver Birch and Sorbus ( the one with orange berries if anyone knows which one that is). A couple of Vibirnum Tinus are staying but they want them moved. There is a huge Hebe that they want cut back but I think it may kill it off - there are only leaves on the very ends and it is very twiggy underneath. There is a ton of Cotoneaster to come out too - not looking forward to trying to dig that out of the solid clay, also a really ugly twiggy Mahonia that they want to keep too:(

Replacing all that will be new curved beech hedges surrounding two seating areas, a living willow arch and a section for bulbs (not sure if they are spring or summer), some metal bendy poles that are supposed to simulate grasses and a lighting effect at the bottom of them. The grotty metal sculpture is going to be painted green, and quite a bright green too - ugh!

So it looks like I may get to have a go at everything.

LLx

[lottielady]

We all went back this afternoon to finish off our 'sculptures'. I forgot to take my camera so I can't show you the finished article until someone sends me copies of theirs. They all look like something from 'Alien' now they are covered in shiny graphite and very messy it was too!

LLx

[lottielady]

Finished Snail shells

Not that you can see them very well as they sent the photos through too small - I think mine is no 5.

There is talk of having a TV gardener to open the courtyards once they are finished!

LLx

[Susie Snowdrop]

Well, I think No. 5 is the best


TV gardener...........surely not...........could it be.................

s x

[lottielady]

Don't say it......

LLx

[Susie Snowdrop]

...........what..............the Flowerdew word...................

S x

[Chuckles]

You are a tease Susie ;D No5 looks like a rose just opening if you were looking at it from above. They all look very nice Lottie

[lottielady]

I said don't say it.....you'll upset Skarloey

LLx

[skarloey]

lottielady said:

I said don't say it.....you'll upset Skarloey

LLx

I was looking at a picture of him the other day, one where he wasn't grinning and trying to imagine him with a different hair 'do'.


Didn't work! I had to turn the page.


Good work with the snails Lots, are you enjoying trying all this new stuff?

[Susie Snowdrop]

[lottielady]

I am Skarloey - if I could only find somewhere to buy the right clay and plaster of paris I think I could go into production making fossils - although I wouldn't cover them in graphite - I don't like the Alien look

I'll try to remember to take my camera when we put them in the courtyard - next session is next Friday

LLx

[lottielady]

I've spent the day back at the hospital doing the planting..mainly Ivy, Vinca, Fescue, Ajuga, Miscanthus, Iris and Hemerocallis - don't ask me how many - when I had finished, the stacked empty pots were as tall as me!

The Snail Courtyard

LLx

[Chuckles]

Well I'll eat Lady Petunia Aster-Clary's hat ;D I was only thinking about looking this thread and 4P's school project thread last night, I was going to look them out tonight.

Well it does look very very impressive LL you have been working really hard. It will look amazing when everything settles it's roots in and starts to grow

[lottielady]

Oi ! If her hat goes missing I'll know where to look Chuckles

I forgot to say there were two other volunteers - I didn't do it on my own - I'd still be there otherwise:D The only thing I am worried about is that they havent 'arranged' for water so nothing has been watered in - I just hope it rains in the night!

LLx

[Susie Snowdrop]

Wow, it's looking excellent Lottie ;D

Surely somebody will water the plants in............won't they

S x

[isabella]

The garden looks fantastic LL - I love the design! It really makes use of the space available!
What a wonderful thing to be involved in

[lottielady]

I can't wait to see it finished properly Pam, I will try and take a photo from the second floor next time then you will see the full effect of the spiral path.

Susie no one there seemed to be worried about the watering other than me, the good thing is that it doesn't get a lot of sun but the bad thing is that the plants didn't get a soak before they went in either The Vinca and Ivy will be hard to kill off but I am a bit worried about the grasses!

LLx

[jean]

Fingers crossed for rain LL, what a wonderful project to be involved in ;D