Todlaw buzzing at plans for new sensory garden!

Community Integrated Care is delighted that our partners at Berwickshire Housing Association (BHA) are proposing to transform an enclosed piece of land into a vibrant sensory garden for the people we support at Todlaw in Duns.

The site, owned by BHA, is currently surrounded by existing housing and when a further two new houses are constructed in the next year it will become land-locked with the only access from Station Court, the building in which our Todlaw service resides. It is proposed that this largely flat site will become a private garden for the people we support at the service.  

The ‘Bumblebee Garden’ will provide a quiet, social space for residents to interact, grow plants and vegetables and invite neighbours, family and friends to share and enjoy their new communal garden. The garden will have a range of plants and features designed for sensory stimulation and will have spaces for social gatherings.

The garden has been designed with the people we support in mind, including those who are wheelchair bound. Paths, raised beds and an accessible polytunnel will be carefully designed so that anyone can take part in gardening duties. The garden will be formally constructed with a great attention to detail, safety and circulation to ensure the people we support can contribute to this green space development.

Community Integrated Care’s Regional Manager, Rachel Fourie, says: “This sensory garden will mean so much to both the people we support, their families and our colleagues, giving them a space where they can enjoy the fresh air and the beautiful surroundings. Sensory gardens have been known to improve health and well-being, which is why this space will be so important to our service in Duns.

We’d like to thank our housing partners, Berwickshire Housing Association, for allowing us to use the space to create what promises to be a fantastic area for us to enjoy, and for their hard work and commitment to the project so far.”

BHA’s Community Initiatives Manager Dougie Paterson said: “We are delighted to offer a small piece of land and work closely with our partners to create a wonderful sensory space for Community Integrated Care residents.

“The Bumblebee Garden forms part of our ongoing commitment to creating thriving communities in Duns and across Berwickshire. We are excited to see the Bumblebee Garden in full bloom for everyone to enjoy.”