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Garden group rooting for plant donations

Scottish Veterans Residences’ latest garden project has put down healthy roots at Whitefoord House, but the charity is now appealing to the public to come forward with seeds, seedlings and plants to help it grow.

The initiative has already demonstrated the power of community collaboration. Staff and residents from SVR have involved Occupational Therapy students from Queen Margaret University (QMU), the Edinburgh Tools Library, The Crannie and the Edinburgh Community Growing Collective.

The group was set up by SVR’s Specialist Occupational Therapist Janet Harkess and Housing Support Worker Martha Moloney. It followed an initial assessment of the site and a proposal from QMU student Sinead Gallagher. The project has been kindly part-funded by a grant from the Queen Mary’s Roehampton Trust.

Janet explained: “Residents are really realising the mental health benefits of being involved in this project 

“Now we are asking for people to kindly donate seeds, seedlings and plants for the raised bed so we can start a ‘Plant to Plate’ initiative and work with the Whitefoord House catering team to provide fresh produce for meal times. We also hope to  build a tool store in the style of a sentry box.”

If you can help with any plant or seed donations, particularly Cosmos and Marigolds, please contact: Janet.harkess@svronline.org or call 0300 131 6755.