Accessibility Garden Celebrated

Thursday, 25 September 2014 17:56

Allows residents, visitors, and staff a place to relax, and be involved.

WOODSTOCK - The residents at Woodingford Lodge don't have to look far for beauty - it's right outside their window.

The Accessibility Garden was celebrated Thursday afternoon, honouring the brains behind the project: Jennifer Beattie.

"Looking outside it was just an empty space, often the grass was dead, there was nothing to look out there while the residents were eating their meals. So I just thought that would add some colour, and it looked out onto the 401, so I thought that might be a good opportunity to kind of block that a little bit."

Master Gardener and Designer, Gord Piggott, explains the unique layout: "everything's low by the building and gets taller further away, so it's designed to be backwards because it's viewed from inside the building. A lot of the residents that live here simply can't get out of the building, they're in their wheelchairs, and that's where they spend a lot of their time is inside by those windows."

Flowers, trees, and personalized rocks line the pathway for the garden, but they're not done yet! Lodge Director Corrie Fransen says they have many ideas to build on the work already done. "Continue to add plants and trees, and perhaps other areas where residents can just sit quietly and have a coffee. Can have dinners out in the patio out there and have residents have maybe a meal with their spouse out there."

Judy Crane, President of the Resident's council, says the garden overlooking the highway and the hospital is a great observation point.

"Some of them just like to listen to the traffic, or they like when the Ornge helicopters land at the hospital and then take off. Because some of them - that's just the highlight of their day."

The garden took two years to plan, but only three months were needed to raise the necessary $28, 500.

Fundraising continues to maintain the garden, including a raffle in the spring.
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