On Friday, Steve Double from Operation Geranium was invited with Alison Ball, from the IW Ambulance Service, to attend the 2023 Wight In Bloom Awards, hosted by Visit Wight, the Isle of Wight tourism group.
Steve explains,
“With over 90 entries, and a high standard, we were very pleased to come away with a Runner-Up Award in the category for best new large scale garden, in a care, nursing, or residential environment.”
Steve says the planting scheme was organised and completed by a Team of supported workers employed by Care In The Garden CIC, based at Palmers Brook Nursery, Wootton.
Rest and well-being garden
The project was the new rest and well-being garden, which Steve says has made a difference to the Ambulance Crews and staff, who return to base to look after and enjoy their own garden sanctuary at St Mary’s Hospital.
He adds,
“As a community-focused project, it has been well received, and this was one of the aspects that impressed the Wight in Bloom competition judges, who were given a difficult task this year.
“It represents the care, integrity and values which should be at the heart of all our public services. Napoleon led his Armies into battle proclaiming England to be a nation of Shop Keepers, but on the Isle of Wight we seem to be most proud of our gardens.
“I am sure when the sudden outbreak of the Covid pandemic arrived so many of us found nurturing plants, in our gardens, to be a very therapeutic exercise. It was great to see that The Wight In Bloom Awards were starting up again and to be able to enter, but exciting also to be presented with a section of recycled Hovercraft Skirt as an innovative and green certificate this year.”
News shared by Steve, in his own words, Ed
