Elderly residents dig for victory

A group of elderly gardeners are celebrating their win in this year’s annual Bristol in Bloom competition, scooping a gold certificate for the garden they planted and grew together, 40 metres above ground level on the roof of their retirement complex.

Securing the award for the Best Community Garden, residents of Monica Wills House, the purpose-built housing facility for elderly people built by Bristol charity St Monica Trust in Bedminster, developed their award winning roof garden from scratch this year. They started work in May as soon as repairs to the building were completed, following a fire that forced them out of their homes for three months.

For Clive Cogan, the whole experience has proved that you’re never too old to learn. Picking up a trowel for the first time at the age of 64, until a few months ago Clive didn’t know a pansy from a petunia, but working with friend and neighbour David Beasant, he’s become a regular feature in the garden, not only tending his own plot but helping other people bring their budding gardening ideas to fruition.

Says Clive, “David has been our ‘head gardener’, a real inspiration. For me. I’m very surprised at how I took to it. I’m only just learning, but I love it – the design, the planting and then just the whole excitement when everything bursts into life.”

The roof garden has become a focus for many of the St Monica Trust’s elderly residents, giving every one of the 100 people who live there the opportunity to get involved. Even those who find it difficult to garden have joined in.

Explains Clive, “This is a real community garden because everyone can do as much or as little as they like or can manage. We’ve helped create the flower schemes that other people have designed, so anyone who wants to can contribute.”

Gardeners at the St Monica Trust provided the friends with plants to help get them started and the Trust has donated some plants and equipment to support their endeavours.

Says Activities Co-ordinator for Monica Wills House Julie Sach, “This is a really great achievement. We’re really proud of our gardeners but also grateful for their inspiration and hard work, both in overcoming the challenges of a roof garden and also in creating such a beautiful outdoor space.”

This year’s Bristol in Bloom competition assessed twelve different garden categories awarding gold awards to ten gardens for particularly impressive displays. The gardens are judged on a combination of criteria including content, colour, level of care and how pleasing it is to the eye.

St Monica Trust residents will receive their Gold Certificate at a presentation organised this Friday (14th September) at Bristol Zoo.