Well we have all been patiently awaiting the arrival of spring and now it is finally here! This is the time of the year where the grounds at the building start a drastic change, with all the budding flowers, and green leaves appearing faster each day. The sun starts waking up early, and the weather starts to get milder making spending time on the grounds much more appealing. Another tell-tale sign that spring has arrived at Willow Point Supportive Living, is the beautiful raised garden beds start to take shape.

A few years ago in 2012 we saw an article about old fish totes from salmon farming being up-cycled into raised garden beds quite easily. We sent a request to Marine Harvest, and they happily supplied us with several totes! We then filled them half full of Styrofoam blocks for drainage, covered with landscaping fabric, then covered that with good quality topsoil.  The Campbell River Foundation funded materials and volunteered labor for a firm base to be placed around the beds to allow easy mobility with walkers. The garden beds are about waist-high so seniors can sit on their walkers or stand beside them to tend their gardens without having to bend. They are assigned on a first come basis, and each gardener has their choice of what to plant.

Many seniors have a strong desire to garden, but apartment living can limit what they can grow. Luckily our residents now have access to individual gardens that are much more accessible than typical garden beds.