As experts in caring for the elderly and vulnerable, Bluebird Care can be relied upon to offer the best practical advice when it comes to how you can help support your loved ones.
However, it’s important that we all try to stay motivated and active as much as we can whilst staying safe at home.
Bluebird Care’s Jane is a keen gardener and enjoys spending time with her family outside. We asked her for her top tips on gardening during lockdown.
I’ve found it a real struggle this year to get hold of some of the staples I’d usually grow in my vegetable garden. Onions sets and potato tubers seem to be extinct so I’ve had to take a different approach to my garden this year. With the children being at home, we’ve spent a lot of time painting rocks and stones to decorate the garden with.
Of course not everyone has access to a garden or outside space but that doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy growing your own vegetables or flowers on a windowsill or involve the children in a fun activity that they can help nurture and grow over time. My top 5 gardening tips are:
- Gardens don’t have to be outside! – If you’ve not got access to a garden (or indeed if you’re keen to stay indoors or can’t venture outside), there’s plenty that you can do easily, from the comfort of your kitchen! Cardboard egg boxes make great containers to grow cress in on a windowsill and lettuce leaves grow surprisingly well in the silver oven trays some ready meals come in (washed obviously). A handful of soil, a sprinkle of seeds and some daily tlc with a little water and you’ll have fresh lettuce and cress leaves in no time. Perfect for sunny windowsills during lockdown.
- Windowsill flowers - If vegetables aren’t your thing, growing some pretty windowsill flowers is another activity to keep your fingers green during lockdown. I love to grow Lobelia and Petunias as they’re so simple and my children like to place bets on what colours the flowers will be when they start to bloom.
- Virtual Gardens – for those with access to the internet, the National Garden Scheme (NGS) release a collection of Virtual Garden Visits every Thursday. This sees owners introduce their gardens online and explain the highs and lows of their creations.
- Discover a podcast – Indoor plant expert Jane Perrone is my favourite gardening podcaster with her podcast called On The Ledge. She covers a fresh topic every episode and shows that gardening doesn’t mean you have to be outdoors. Perfect for lockdown!
- Be inspired – I can lose myself for hours on Pinterest, browsing through ideas for next year’s flower beds or another painted stone creation my daughter can make to adorn our Fairy Garden Rockery. Now is a great time to plan for your garden next year.