Hopetoun garden extension
Residents at Rural Northwest Health’s Hopetoun campus will soon be admiring new gardens while enjoying greater access.
The extension of fences and a new concrete path will allow both ambulant and wheelchair-bound residents to circumnavigate the campus and take in the new gardens along the way.
A $30,000 contribution from Rural Northwest Health, along with donations from other organisations including a $3000 grant from Hopetoun Women on Farms Gathering, has secured the project.
Hopetoun environmental services worker Tracie Love and wellbeing coordinator Kathy Poulton are the key motivators behind the project.
The pair, along with administrator Judy Ferguson, have also worked tirelessly to prepare garden beds. Ms Love ignited the program in October last year after appealing for support to improve the campus gardens.
She wanted her father, a resident at the time, to have a picturesque outlook from his room with a personalised garden.
Sadly her father has since passed away, but Ms Love is determined to see the project come to fruition so other residents can reap the rewards.
Ms Poulton said the idea was to allow each resident to design the view from their individual room.
“Outside each resident’s window is an individual garden bed where the resident can choose what plants they want and they can add ornaments and features that create the best memories for them,” she said.
“One lady has already planned to put a table and chairs outside her window so she can sit and enjoy the garden.
“It’s just another way of ensuring this is home for our residents.”
Rural Northwest Health Hopetoun campus manager Natalie Ladner thanked everyone for ensuring the project would be a successful one.
“The contribution from our own board is enormous and Women on Farms have been great,” she said.
“We have also had wonderful support from Hopetoun Campus Ladies Auxiliary, Hopetoun Garden Club, Hopetoun Opportunity Shop and Hopetoun Mens Shed, which will build a telephone box for the garden.
“The work from our own team members who are getting their hands dirty and providing labor has been outstanding.”