Cumbernauld’s plans to sink money into gardening

Baths are not exactly the most conventional gardening tool so personal activities leader Karen Coomes took the time to explain the idea behind her brainchild.

She said; “The idea behind the baths is to get a depth of soil. We have areas out the back that could be used to grow various winter plants and vegetables, but the soil is so shallow that nothing could grow there.”

“So far we have two baths but we will need about 10 to 12 more, in order to have enough to make the project work. It doesn’t matter what condition any donated baths are in, they can all be used. By the time we are done with them you wouldn’t even think they were baths, they will just look like big planters,’’ she added.

The Four Seasons cares predominately for the older generations who suffer from end stage dementia. Gardening projects, such as this, are a great way for them to work their minds and get back in touch with previous hobbies.

“If you think about it people are here because of there illness. From the outside people may think the residents are only here to sit and do nothing for the rest of their days, but that is not the case,” Karen said.

“If we can unleash the potential that they have they can get a lot out of projects like this. As a staff we just want to make a difference to the residents lives.”

Emma Corbett, deputy manager, added: “A lot of our residents used to do gardening every day before they came here, so this gives them a chance to enjoy that again.

“Karen has only recently taken up her new role, but since she took over we have all noticed a really big difference.”

If you would like to donate an unwanted bath to the care home, contact Karen on 01236 739979