An inspired garden at Rockdale House Care Home

15/3/2022

Rockdale House is a purpose-built residential care home in the centre of Sevenoaks, built in 2013 within the meadow gardens of Rockdale Housing Association’s land.

Ros Ward became the Registered Manager of Rockdale House Care Home during the pandemic, when residents were unable to see their loved ones. During the lockdown, Ros and her colleagues became increasingly aware of the need for better use of the garden for our care home residents and started to look at how the area could be improved to provide a larger accessible space for residents to enjoy outdoor activity. The outdoor space would include raised beds for residents to help with planting, a central water feature (using the existing structure) and sensory plants.

Ros and staff started fundraising for the garden and made contacts within the community to support the work. The Head Gardener of Penshurst Place kindly supported us with expert suggestions and introductions to contacts for design and pricing. Ros said:

“It is not often a care home can boast they have received help and support from a stately home in their endeavours to improve the facilities for the residents. Rockdale House is extremely grateful to the many people who contributed to make this new garden possible and especially to Tony Wiseman from Penshurst Place who was there to guide us initially”.

At the end of February 2022, the hard landscaping was completed and the garden designer who has volunteered her time to prepare the garden design plans, Amanda Hopkins is now preparing a planting plan ready for residents to enjoy the Spring and Summer in their newly refurbished garden at Rockdale House Care Home.

We are extremely grateful to Tony Wiseman, Amanda Hopkins and all those who have kindly donated to the garden refurbishment to date.

The refurbished garden will benefit the health and wellbeing of our elderly residents for many years to come, thanks to the personal dedication by Ros Ward, pictured left.

Amanda Hopkins garden design contact details:

amandahopkins.art@gmail.com