A SON has spoken of the heartwarming moment his 90-year-old dad saw he had transformed the garden at the nursing home he now lives at.
Phil Eastwood has built a wheelchair‑friendly sensory garden at Park House Nursing Home in Queensbury so residents can enjoy the outdoors.
The project came about after a simple conversation sparked an idea “from the heart”.
It was when Mr Eastwood, who has his own allotment, spoke with the care home’s owner during a visit to see his dad – David Eastwood.
A resident cuts the ribbon to officially open the new wheelchair‑friendly garden (Image: Mike Simmonds)
‘My dad is really happy here’
Phil said: “We were just talking away and I said, ‘Your garden would be lovely there. He said, ‘Can you do one? I told him I’ve got my own allotment and I built most of that, and we got talking away, and I said my dad’s really happy here and so I’ll build you a garden.”
Mr Eastwood said he then spoke to his friend Mark Vernon, a joiner, to ask if he would help bring the idea to life.
He said: “I had a word with him and asked if he’d give me a hand, and he said yes straight away., we both started and we just built it.”
Garden volunteers and staff pose together in the newly opened garden (Image: Mike Simmonds)
Three‑month project
The garden took around three months to complete, from January through to the spring, and was carefully planned to be low‑maintenance and accessible.
“It’s got proper drainage, everything’s been properly treated and painted,” Mr Eastwood said.
He said that accessibility was a key part of the design.
Mr Eastwood added: “We’ve made it all wheelchair‑friendly.”
They also added in a rockery garden, strawberries and potatoes.
A decorative plaque among the flowers adds a personal and reflective touch to the new (Image: Mike Simmonds)
Flowers, fruit — and vegetables
Mr Eastwood said he also spoke with staff and residents about what they’d like to grow in the garden.
“One of them said I wanted to flowers, so we said yes,” he said.
“Then we talked about vegetables, and we’ve put in strawberries, a rockery garden, lettuce, cabbage and cauliflower. It’s a proper mix.”
The response from residents has already been overwhelming.
He added: “Every morning one of the residents looks out of her window smiling and waves down to us.”
Residents get hands‑on in the new wheelchair‑accessible garden at Park House Nursing (Image: Mike Simmonds)
‘How can you put a price on that?’
For Mr Eastwood, seeing his dad’s reaction made all the effort worthwhile.
“He loves it,” Mr Eastwood said simply.
“That’s how I know it was worth doing.”
He added that the project has changed how it feels visiting the home.
“It’s just such a nice place to come to now,” he said.
“When you see the smiles, that’s everything. How can you put a price on that?”
Now residents can enjoy watching their plants grow in time for this year’s harvest.
Mr Eastwood also mentioned there’s a possibility to add trees and plants to remember people who have passed.
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