Volunteers blooming after appearance at Southport Flower Show

Volunteers supporting Mersey Care services in St Helens have designed and built a garden which aims to highlight the benefits of gardening on positive mental health and was featured in the prestigious Southport Flower Show

The garden, titled ‘Rooted in Wellbeing,’ was created by Mersey Care’s Peasley Cross Gardening Group and was part of the Flower Show as a display item. As the garden was based on a beach theme, the volunteers used plants normally found in coastal areas.

Bernadette Millington, Mersey Care’s Patient & Public Involvement Co-ordinator, explained: “I’ve had the opportunity to work with the volunteer gardening group for a number of years and the changes it makes in people’s lives is amazing.

“Some of them when they first volunteer won’t give eye contact and have little confidence to speak, but the environment gives them the opportunity to build confidence in a safe, welcoming space at their own pace.

“We’re currently working alongside the recovery team, who bring along patients who are on their recovery journey, and they’ve been returning every week and are now able to join the volunteer group on a permanent basis, which is a massive step in their social inclusion journey.”

Since its appearance in Southport, the garden has now returned to Peasley Cross Hospital in St Helens, where the volunteers are based, and will be recreated in the orchard area of the hospital grounds.

Susan Pearson, one of the volunteers who worked on the project, added: “I’ve had a fantastic few days doing the Southport garden and it’s been a wonderful experience.

“We all worked together so well to produce a beautiful garden, with each of us playing our part from the drawing board to the finished project.”