AGED care residents will be able to sit in comfort on new benches, which officially complete the Pinchunga assisted living facility’s garden.
In recent years, the Penola community has supported the creation of a welcoming and mentally stimulating garden experience for the facility residents.
A water feature, sculpture, new driveway and a native garden are some of the features providing residents with an attractive environment to relax.
The long-term project was initiated after a band of volunteers identified the area required a makeover and sought donations from the community to fund the new garden.
Group member Janet Brodie said volunteers were blown away by the community’s generosity.
“We consulted with the residents and the hospital staff as to what they would like within the garden,” Ms Brodie said.
“That is where the idea for the water feature came from as it was high on the agenda.
“We also needed to ensure the garden was low maintenance, which is where the native plants came into it.
“We also ensured the plants would attract birds, butterflies and other wonderful insects to further stimulate the
residents minds.”
Ms Brodie said the garden was carefully constructed so residents could use the facility to its capacity in the warmer months, with a rotunda and three automatic blinds included in the final design.
“It was such a lovely project to be involved with and the volunteer group are such great people,” she said.
“It has also brought a lot of benefits to the residents,” she said.
“It just allows them to be outside in the fresh air and having a lovely garden which will change over time is great for both their mental and physical health.
