Blooming Marvelous! – Parris Lawn Residents Admire Royal Tribute In Bloom
The Parris Lawn team and residents recently celebrated the first flowering of their young wisteria and looked back to its symbolic planting 2 years ago.
Inspired by the Queen’s Green Canopy
In 2022, Her Majesty the Queen became the first British monarch to celebrate a Platinum Jubilee after 70 years of service.
As part of leaving a lasting and meaningful legacy, the Queen’s Green Canopy was established. This was a unique nationwide tree planting initiative where everyone – including youth groups, villages, cities, counties, schools, and businesses – were encouraged to play their part in enhancing and protecting our environment by planting trees.
“Plant a Tree for the Jubilee” was born and over 3 million trees were planted across the UK.
John Leads the Wisteria Planting Team
The team and residents at Parris Lawn were inspired to take part in the tribute – but what to plant? Our multi-talented Senior Maintenance Officer, John, not only volunteered to lead the project, he also suggested that a wisteria might be the perfect choice. John said, “Wisteria has it all. When it flowers, the purple blooms are stunning, and its scent is incredible - people are just drawn to it”.
We were sold on the idea of a wisteria, especially when we heard that they can live for 50 years and often longer – something for future generations to enjoy as the plant matures and thrives.
True to his word, John suggested the perfect spot against a wall that would get plenty of sunshine and the wisteria was planted, with the help of some keen residents including Betty and Dily, who were, and still are, loyal fans of the late Queen.
Sunshine Encourages the Buds to Open
Two years later, and after seemingly endless unpredictable weather, the wisteria came into full bloom! Betty and Dilys stepped outside to admire fruits of their labour and they were delighted. Betty told us, “This is a huge moment for some of us in the home. We feel very proud to have been a part of such a wonderful thing!”, whilst Dily mentioned that “The perfect sunny day came for the perfect moment”.
Resident Heather, who is proud of her ‘green fingers’, also came to view our pride and joy before telling us, “This is a job well done! Couldn’t have done it better myself! The bloom is so pretty, and the smell is intoxicating”.
Celebrating the longevity and successes of our late Queen was a lot of fun at the time, and now the team and residents at Parris Lawn are happy to see the results of our eco-friendly masterpiece.
Bringing Joy to the Community for Years to Come
The wisteria has also been appreciated by many of our neighbours from the village, who have walked past it and commented on how beautiful and how bright it is. Ringmer is already a lovely village in its own right, so it was great to contribute something that brings pleasure to others locally, and a further incentive to nurture the wisteria on behalf of our residents, the wider community and in the memory of the late Queen.
Parris Lawn Home Manager, Jackie Cox, concluded, “Overall, the teamwork between the residents and the team really made this idea come to life and I am so happy for everyone involved”.
Dementia Specialist Care Home in Lewes
Parris Lawn Care Home, located in the village of Ringmer in Lewes, East Sussex, has established itself as a home of excellence for outstanding dementia care. The care home provides a safe and supportive setting for people living with dementia, encouraging independence, dignity, and wellbeing.
For more information about Parris Lawn Care Home and its dedication to dementia care, please visit our dedicated page for more information. You can also find information on our other dementia specialist care homes by exploring our site. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch to find out more.
