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Smile
Providing Activities For The Elderly CIC
Grow Along Project
Grow Along Project is based in Uphall.
The project is founded by Smile as part of their 2024 Health & Wellbeing Program called Grow'Along
making gardening available to all.
Supported By West Lothian VSG
Introduction
Smile is honored to be working till spring with head gardener of Middleton Hall and the Smile Centre activities staff to write a Grow Along Project that allows everyone the opportunity to experience and benefit from garden therapy.
Grow along gives people the opportunity to take part in a variety of different gardening projects, sowing, planting, pruning, harvesting, preserving and crafting as well as sensory, medicinal and wildlife gardening.
In the early 1700 Middleton Hall was well known for its lush grounds and extensive range of homegrown produce.
This is something that the residents of Middleton Hall hope to achieve again.
With decades of practical experience Vicky Kidd,
Gardener of Middleton Hall Care Home
prepares the grounds for the residents
to start homesteading.
January 2024
The Beginning
Garden Clean Up
Composting
Preparing for Spring
Vicky also gathers vegetable and fruit peeling, teabags, cardboard boxes and eggshells
to help prepare healthy compost
for the year ahead.
The fallen leaves are kept for compost as leaves contain nutrients that plants need to support their growth.
OPENING WORKSHOP
The air was full of the smell of herbs and soil at
Grow Alongs opening workshop.
The atmosphere in the Smile Centre was buzzing
with the sound of garden chitter chatter,
interesting stories about past gardening experiences
and ideas for the future fulled the room with excitement.
Over the next few weeks while the weather is cold indoor gardening will be in full bloom.
![62355eb5-3532-4280-976f-2387dc4da386[56].jpg](https://static.wixstatic.com/media/2f8b0b_506284e11fab474bbad04aaf8aa88820~mv2.jpg/v1/fill/w_244,h_316,al_c,q_80,usm_0.66_1.00_0.01,enc_avif,quality_auto/62355eb5-3532-4280-976f-2387dc4da386%5B56%5D.jpg)
January isn't always the best month to start gardening especially in Scotland,
but for the residents of Middleton Hall its the start of new beginnings.
Grow Along weekly workshops allow people to meet other keen gardener's and share their knowledge, ideas and experience.
Vicky also hosts one to one gardening therapy sessions for people
to do window sill gardening in their rooms.
After a few days of sowing seeds around the home and a very successful Grow Along Workshop ~ the new pots head to the greenhouse.
Snow drops appear through frost covered soil today & daffodils peek towards the sun,
its cold crisp and windy and storms are forecast soon.
The North Wind Doth Blow ~ January Storms !
January storms hit Heritage Homestead hard,
all of the hard work done by the residents
was ruined when the greenhouse
was blown to bits by the storm.
Pot plants tumble in the wind,
seeds were lost and plant pots broken.
Seventy percent of the planting
was destroyed!
The Best Gifts Are Tied With Heart Strings
After posting pictures of the storms aftermass,
Grow Along Project would like to thank the family & friends of Middleton Hall, Smile and Broxburn Uphall Gardening Society who all worked together to help fund and replace everything that was lost.
At the bottom of the garden,
where the tennis courts use to be,
an old brick well sits in the sunlight,
underneath a tall pine tree.
The snowdrops sparkle in the frost
the daffodils are starting to show
while crocus bulbs hide in the ground
till the grass says goodbye to the snow.
A very blustery February has arrived
and everyone is staying warm inside
repotting and repairing from the storms.
What a difference a week can make,
this week we have come back
stronger than ever before.
With support from our new friends
and helpers it has allowed us to
grow and bloom.
During the month of February the Smile Centre theme is valentines,
this is to help people identify the time of year.
Having an active garden gives us the luxury of fresh roses
to make our own beauty care products for
hairdressing, pamper & sensory activities.
February's week two Grow Along Workshop
is a rose themed "making memories"
Valentines photoshoot.
Roses fresh & dried
enhance the rooms colour & smell
triggering happy memories.
February week three Grow Along Workshop
is a friends and family event in
The Smile Centre for Valentines.
Heart shaped bird seed
fat balls are great for birds,
when the garden is frozen.
Once the fresh roses are over
Vicky dries each flower
for future projects.
February Week4 Grow Along Class
is preparing spring Gardening Boxes.
Smile will be donated to local nursery
and school children so they can join us
with this years grow along project.
Daffodils & Crocus,
are starting to show.
While this little primula
is on a go slow.
Saffron is a rare and popular spice, made from dried crocus stigma.
Spring Planting
Thank you Dr Alison from Stirling University
for donating a artichoke tubers
for this weeks grow along project.
The Jerusalem artichoke also called wild sunflower,
is a species of Sunflower native to
central North America.
Spring Planting
Onion Sets
Tubers & Bulbs
Building Planters
March Week One
Herb Planting Workshop
mint, basil & rosemary.
Building Planters
Wheelchair accessible
Smile would like to thank The Volunteer Sector Gateway
for providing funding for wood for Lynn & Vicky to build
raised planters for Middleton Hall Residents.
Wheelchair Planters
all ready for spring planting.
Still Life
Art Class
March Week Two ~ Still Life Art Class
Home grown art allows people who can't get out to the garden to enjoy its beauty in other ways.
Proudly Supported By Smile
Like all flowers
not everyone flourishes in groups.
121 Flower Pressing Art
is very peaceful and relaxing
for people who enjoy quiet time.
Pats Cosmos
Week Three Grow Along
The residents are very pleased to support
Vickys Instagram follower"Pats Cosmos 2024"
who are supporting people living with cancer.
Pats daughter kindly posted our
grow along group some seeds for this
week's workshop.
Thank you Denise & Gary
for donating plants towards
Middleton Hall Grow Along Project.
Week 4 Easter Grow Along Project
This weeks grow along project is planting different varieties of potatoes.
April
Whether the weather be hot
whether the weather be cold
we'll weather the weather
whatever the weather
whether we like it or not!
Giving Garden
Box Planting
Paths & Grass
Potting
In this months Grow Along workshop will be concentrating on the wild side of gardening.
The residents will be foraging for edible foods and creating bug houses to help encourage wildlife.
Things to enjoy between the April showers.
Dandelion Honey
Dandelion honey isn't honey made by bees, but rather it is really dandelion syrup made from the flowers and sugar.
Foraging & collecting edible plants, fruits, nuts, seeds and fungi from the outdoors is a great way to taste the gifts of nature.
Wild Garlic Pesto
-
200g Wild garlic leaves, washed
-
50g parmesan or vegetarian/vegan hard cheese, grated
-
1 Garlic clove, diced or finely chopped
-
1 Lemon juice
-
100ml Extra virgin olive oil or Rapeseed oil
Using a food processor, blitz the wild garlic, garlic clove & hard cheese, while slowly adding the olive oil and lemon juice until it become a smooth paste. Then add the salt and pepper to season
The Giving Garden
Its the final week of Grow Along at Middleton Hall,
this project has been a huge success
giving residents ,friends and family
a garden they can forever enjoy.
Grow Along brings purpose to peoples day and gives them the opportunity to stay connected to nature.
Thank you to the residents, Vicky the gardener and friends and family of Middleton Hall for allowing Smile
to help your garden grow.
Thank You to Volunteer Sector Gateway
for supporting Smile 2024 Grow Along Project.
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