With National Gardening Day just around the corner on April 14th, residents and team members at our two Cambridge homes – Alex Wood House in Arbury and Langdon House in Chesterton – are welcoming the season with a fresh boost for their green spaces, thanks to an exciting new initiative.
As part of the Home Grown 2025 project, both homes have received generous grow packs from Groundwork East, funded by the Francis Winham Foundation.
The packs include everything an enthusiastic gardener could need to get started or to level up their planting game: seeds, gloves, tools, trays, pots, labels, and grow bags.
It’s a welcome addition for the thriving gardening clubs already active at both homes. The clubs offer residents not only a chance to get their hands dirty, but also to connect with nature, enjoy the outdoors, and find joy in nurturing life from soil to bloom.
At Alex Wood House, Team Leader Dorota Opacka, who has worked at the home for 17 years, is a passionate supporter of the garden.
Originally from Poland, Dorota brings her love for gardening both to her communal garden at home in Cambridge and to the lush outdoor spaces of Alex Wood House.
“It’s great to see the gardens looking good,” she says. “And it’s lovely for residents to get involved, whether through activity sessions or the gardening club.”
Both homes also proudly take part in Athena in Bloom, a vibrant initiative that encourages all homes across the Athena Care Homes family to showcase their gardening achievements in various categories, from tallest sunflowers to community involvement and sustainability.
With their new grow packs in hand and a renewed sense of springtime energy, the teams and residents at Langdon House and Alex Wood House are more than ready to dig in – just in time for National Gardening Day.
