What the garden teaches us - spring activities.

Spring is such a generous season.

The garden seems to sing, doesn't it? Even the tiniest patch of green bursts with colour and life. Of course, everyone should have the chance to access the outdoors, and we must keep striving to make that a reality. But for those who can't get outside easily, or at all, nature shouldn’t be something they only see through the window.

Thankfully, the garden has lessons to teach us that can thrive just as well indoors.

This week, I want to share some simple ways you can bring the spirit of the garden into your care home, spring activities to help residents reconnect with nature in calming, sensory-rich, and meaningful ways.

Nature is a feast for the senses

The garden doesn’t just look beautiful - it smells, sounds, and feels wonderful too. When we bring in flowers, herbs, or even a handful of soil, we’re offering more than decoration - we’re providing sensory stimulation.

• Create a small “touch and smell” tray with herbs like rosemary, mint, and lavender.

  - Or encourage a few keen residents to create some jam-jar displays with these fresh herbs which can then be used for this activity.

• Offer a small bowl of compost or potting soil for residents to touch and sniff (with wipes nearby). - Be aware of those who may mistake this for 'snuff'. Watch for pincer like finger movements to grab a 'pinch' of the soil and movements towards the face.

• Play some nature soundtracks - birds chirping, bees buzzing, water trickling.

This is a very inclusive activity, residents living with dementia can respond just as deeply to these sensory cues, sparking memories and feelings of peace.

Growth is a powerful metaphor

There’s something very life-affirming about watching a seed grow. It speaks of hope, patience, and care - all values that resonate in later life.

• Start a windowsill garden. Use cress, radishes, or sunflowers. These are all fast growers which can be especially rewarding.

• Set up a “plant of the week” table with info and pictures, encouraging residents to vote on what to grow next.

  - Offer simple illustrated journals so residents can note or draw changes.

Even those who don’t feel “green-fingered” can enjoy watching others tend to the plants and being included in the conversations around them.

Flowers speak without words

You know I love a jam jar of flowers! Fresh flowers, even just a few stems, can completely change the feel of a room. But more than that, arranging flowers can become a moment of quiet creativity.

• Offer a weekly flower arranging session. Use your own blooms or ask a local florist, supermarket or gardener for any excess blooms.

  - Look out for those (like me!) who offer this service as an activity. - they will bring everything you need for the activity.

• Invite residents to create displays for communal areas or gift jam jars to others in the home.

• Use my H.E.L.P.S. framework to consider questions to prompt conversation such as: “Did you have flowers in your wedding bouquet?”

  “What’s your favourite scent in the garden?”

These activities can be especially powerful for residents who prefer quieter, more reflective activities.

Nature brings us together

Gardens are social spaces as much as peaceful ones. Whether it’s chatting about favourite flowers or reminiscing about past gardens, nature invites connection.

• Run a “Garden Memories” reminiscence session using photos of old-fashioned tools, allotments, or classic British blooms.

• Encourage families to bring in photos of the resident’s past garden.

• Create a “garden wall” with painted flowers or tissue paper blooms from a craft session.

Use this opportunity to listen to your residents’ stories - they often reveal so much about their histories and preferences (the H and P in HELPS!).

The garden doesn’t need perfect conditions. A flower will grow through a crack in the pavement. A bee will find a bloom in a window box.

That’s the gift we can pass on - showing that nature, like joy, finds a way.

Try to find some pictures with these examples, it can make for a lovely discussion over a cuppa!

Wherever we choose to share these activities, the spirit of the garden can come to us and we can create opportunities to remind our residents, and ourselves, that we’re still part of something vibrant, colourful, and alive.

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