Bridgeside Lodge Care Centre
Nestled alongside the attractive Regents Canal, Bridgeside Lodge Care Centre is based in Islington, North London.
Looking to improve their outdoor space and offer their residents a peaceful place where they can connect with nature, Bridgeside Lodge Care Centre successfully secured a funding grant from Islington Council and partnered with Meristem Design to transform their community garden into a green sanctuary.
“It’s lovely just being out here. It’s definitely helped my wellbeing.”
TURNING THE GREY GREEN
Looking to create a greener and cleaner environment for residents, staff and visitors, we delivered:
Green screens
58m of green screens were installed to freshen up the perimeter of the care home, help improve air quality and mitigate pollutants. Additionally, green screens boost biodiversity by attracting bees, birds, butterflies and other insects. Adding to the tranquility of the community garden, the screens also act as a vegetative acoustic barrier - helping to reduce noise pollution.
SUDS PLANTERS
We installed SuDS Planters throughout the garden to increase water quantity, improve water quality, provide amenity and enhance the space to benefit those who live and work there. SuDS also contribute to sustaining and creating environments to support biodiversity.
Included in the planters were the following plant species; Miscanthus sinensis 'Morning Light' Pachysandra, Gaura lindheimeri and Geranium 'Rozanne'.
“It’s like our own little oasis. It’s colourful, looks very nice and it’s made the most of the small space.”
OTHER BENEFICIAL GARDEN FEATURES
Throughout the rest of the garden we included green features such as:
Large timber planters: Helping to promote gardening and involvement from the residents, a few of the planters are full with growing vegetables, fruits and herbs such as Rosemary, Thyme, Mint, Chives, Oregano, Tomatoes, Fennel, Strawberries.
Archways above planters: intertwined with Jasmine, Honeysuckle and Clematis, these act as green windows to the adjacent scenic canal.
Wildflower turf: Covering 41m2, the turf is particularly useful at attracting biodiversity to the garden.
Planting scheme: Adding splashes of colour and vibrancy to the garden, we carefully chose plants that would suit the full sun, partial shade and shaded areas. These included:
Full sun: Salvia Hot Lips, gaura lindheimeri and Hebe Charming White
Partial shade: Fuchsia magellanica, Weigela Pink Poppet and Eryngium planum
Shade: Vinca Minor, Royal Fern and Heuchera
CREATING A PLACE FOR THE COMMUNITY
Having an accessible and peaceful outside space is an excellent way for care home residents to connect with their community.
Fatma, manager of Bridgeside Lodge Care Centre reflects on how the new garden not only lifts the spirits of the residents but also her staff and visitors she sees passing through.
Having access to outside space allows for social activities to be planned, promoting more local community engagement. This can foster intergenerational interaction, providing a sense of reminiscence for care home residents.
“Residents and staff are using the garden so much more now. We’ve been enjoying meeting new friends and creatures such as dragonflies, and hearing the birds singing. Local nursery kids also love coming along and interacting with the sensory smells. ”
“I hope that this garden will be a place of joy, comfort, rest, solitude, fun, music and laughter for many years to come.”
A PLACE TO REMEMBER A LOVED ONE
What makes this new space even more special is the addition of a memorial garden. This area was included to provide a place of comfort and reassurance to residents, family members and carers when a love one has sadly passed away. Including this space will ensure that those who have passed remain a part of the Bridgeside Lodge community and home.
