Garden grows out of desire to help others
Blairgowrie’s Wisecraft has an award-winning garden – thanks to the efforts of a dedicated team of volunteers and clients at the mental health and wellbeing service.
The garden is based next to the service’s premises on Lower Mill Street and is the result of months of planning and work by those involved with the service, as well as generous donations from locals.
The space, which is still being developed and cultivated, features a walkway, seating areas, colourful displays and is wheelchair accessible.
And, in true Wisecraft fashion, it has all been handcrafted, reusing many items such as old tyres and pallets, and created with love.
Wisecraft volunteer Roger Mackey first noticed the area – described as “a bit of a mess” at the time – in the spring of this year.
However, the retired farmer thought it wouldn’t take much to knock it back into shape and appealed for donations of seeds and expertise through Blairgowrie Parish Church, where he is a parishioner.
He explained: “I’m not a gardener but I thought we could do something with this space which would provide another aspect to the service Wisecraft offers.
“So I asked for some donations from the congregation at the church and was absolutely delighted with the response.
“We received a number of plants such as the dahlias and some vegetables, Tesco kindly donated ornamental stones and compost and Proctors and Davidsons both donated pallets which we have used for edging for the beds and to create a planter feature.”
Wisecraft provides a safe environment for adults recovering from mental illness to rebuild their lives, offering meaningful workrelated experience, and the new garden has played a valuable part in achieving that in recent months.
Roger continued: “Everyone has been working in the garden – including people who have never gardened before.
“It’s good for giving people their confidence back and helps them to develop their skills.”
Laura Pack, Hub manager for Wisecraft, added: “What Roger and the team have done with the space is just great.
“It all came from their ideas, their hard work and the generous donations and support from members of the community.
“It’s great to have the space for people to be able to go and chill out, and working in the garden is an additional activity which has expanded our existing programme available to clients, and which fits in perfectly with our healthy lifestyle ethos.”
And the team was also delighted that their hard work in the garden was recognised recently by Blair in Bloom when they came second in the business premises class of the local environment group’s annual garden competition.
Wisecraft is also involved in a new Strathmore ‘wellbeing roadshow’ which takes place next month as part of a wider, month-long, Perth and Kinross wellbeing event.
Working with partners, including the Strathmore Centre for Youth Development (SCYD), health care representatives from NHS Tayside, Tayside Council on Alcohol (TCA) and adult learning groups in the area, Wisecraft will be visiting a number of other groups and organisations in the area to raise awareness about the diverse range of supports available in Perth and Kinross to keep people fit and healthy, both mentally and physically, and also the simple things people can do to help themselves.