Green-fingered Home Teams Praised As ‘Advinia In Bloom’ Winners Revealed

The winners of the inaugural ‘Advinia In Bloom’ contest have been announced, with the judge hailing entries from across all Homes as ‘incredibly impressive’.

Advinia’s Non-Executive Director Simon Morris was given the task of selecting the top entries in five different categories and said he was wowed by the high standard of submissions.

Homes were competing in the Best Wildlife Garden, Best Container/Hanging Basket, From Best Ground To Fork, Best Sensory or Special Place and Tallest Sunflower contests.

After leafing through the presentations by each Home, Simon said he was wowed by the results and bowled over by all the hard work done by Residents and Colleagues.

Simon said: “The ‘Advinia In Bloom’ competition has shown me teamwork at its best – and the results are incredibly impressive.

“The time, effort and care put into creating these horticultural highlights are terrific, and I’ve heard how much everyone has enjoyed getting stuck into their projects.

“Picking the winners was no easy feat, so I congratulate everyone who participated on their excellent efforts.”

Best Wildlife Garden Winner – Rutherglen Care Home
Runners up: Woodstock & Woodfield Grange

Rutherglen in Glasgow took home the title of Best Wildlife Garden after transforming a disused part of their garden into ‘Busy Bees Retreat’. Residents and Colleagues spent days chatting, singing and laughing together as they painted brickwork, planted flowers and brought the area alive with colour.

Simon said: “The transformation was fantastic, and I was particularly impressed with the imagination and creativity that went into developing the ‘Busy Bees Retreat’. Well done to Rutherglen.”

Best Container/Hanging Basket Winner – Braemount & Hammerwich Hall
Runner up: Craigbank

Braemount and Hammerwich Hall have been crowned joint winners in the Best Container/Hanging Basket category. Simon couldn’t pick between them as he was impressed by how both Homes got Residents so involved with the planning and potting of their entries.

Simon said: “The presentations from both Homes were terrific, but I was particularly impressed by the level of teamwork on display. Both Homes worked hard to ensure the planning and potting was an inclusive activity, and it was great to see Residents being at the heart of what they achieved.”

Best Sensory or Special Place Winner – Haydale Care Home
Runners Up – Deanfield, Hammerwich Hall and Parklands Court

Haydale Care Home won the Best Sensory or Special Place thanks to their unique ‘fairy trail’. The experience began inside the Home and led all the way down a long corridor and into the garden space. Features included an indoor edible garden, a wildlife mural and 3D elements for Residents to enjoy using their senses.

Simon added: “I loved Haydale’s Fairy Trail, especially because they’d considered both the Residents who can go outdoors and those who remain indoors. In doing so, they created an experience that everyone could enjoy, and it was marvellous to see the results.”

Tallest Sunflower Winner – Woodfield Grange Care Home

There could only be one winner in the Tallest Sunflower’ category when the measurements came in. Woodfield Grange’s sunflower was a whopping 17ft 4in and stole the show. The fantastic achievement won the Home the prize after the measurement had to be taken after climbing up a ladder!

Simon said: “Woodfield’s fantastic sunflower was very impressive – I wouldn’t expect anything less from something grown in good Yorkshire soil!”

Best Ground To Fork Winner – Newcarron Court
Runners up: Woodfield Grange and Netherton Green

The Ground To Fork category asked participants to grow their own produce to serve up, and boy did the Homes deliver. Newcarron won thanks to an incredible initiative to grow beetroot from seed and turn it into jars of pickled beets. The jars of homegrown goodness were then presented by Residents to their Care Support Colleagues as a ‘thank you’ for their hard work.

Simon said: “I loved the whole concept of the Newcarron beetroot jars. It was an excellent way to use the produce and do something kind for their Care Colleagues. I was very impressed with many entries for this award, and to hear about all the wonderful, fresh fruit, veg and herbs used in Advinia Home kitchens across the UK.”