With the hint of Spring in the air, we are beginning to think about what to plant in this years vegetable garden and have looked back over 2018’s fabulous Garden to Table initiative. There is something magical about planting seeds, nurturing them to grow and then reaping their bounty of vegetables. It was wonderful last year to see our residents so involved and so proud of the results.
Garden to Table
Back in July 2018, our residents began by planting potatoes. This was with the help of Angie, who runs our Gardening Therapy sessions and our activities coordinator Rita. Seed potatoes were planted in large tubs, on our patio, with lots of compost dug in. Angie was on hand throughout the summer, to help our residents with other planting. She is still visiting us at West Eaton and residents thoroughly enjoy her sessions. These have included creating table centres at Christmas and, most recently planting the tubs for the front of our home.
Our residents grew a huge crop of potatoes and also wonky carrots, enormous beetroots and tumbling tomatoes for salads. Pauline was especially proud of the beetroots she grew.
Digging potatoes
Beets
Wonky carrots and tomatoes
Delighted with her beetroots
We are all so thankful to Angie for making gardening so accessible and enjoyable for our residents. We were able to celebrate our bumper crop in September, with a wonderful Harvest Festival service with the children of Ivington School.
The green fingered Angie
Our chef, Tracey
At West Eaton we are very fortunate to have a fabulous head chef, Tracey Powell, who has worked with us for 20 years. Tracey celebrated this milestone last year with all our staff and residents. She is a wonderful cook and makes everything from first principles. She was delighted to help harvest the fruits of our residents labour, incorporating the veggies into her menu, making soups and pickling lots of the beetroots.
20 years in service
Celebrating with a cake
Harvesting the veggies
Late August we had a bumper crop of blackberries in our grounds and picked the apples from our apple tree. Tracey made a delicious crumble which everyone enjoyed. The blackberry picking and the smell and taste of the crumble conjured up many childhood memories. We often find that smell and taste evoke memories and Tracey’s home cooking, making our residents favourites, brings a lot of comfort and joy.
Blackberry picking
Crumble
Involving our residents
Tracey helped with pumpkin carving in October for Halloween and made biscuits for our residents to decorate. Many residents love baking and Derry, in particular, enjoys helping Tracey make and decorate Christmas cakes and cupcakes. Tracey often whips up a huge number of cakes for our various cake sales and events. The cake sale for Wear it Pink Day for Breast Cancer Research, helped us to achieve our fundraising total of £618.
Derry licking the spoon!
Wear It Pnk
A huge thank you Tracey for enriching the lives of our residents, with nourishment for both body and soul.