9 MAY 2008
RESIDENTS GROW GREEN-FINGERS IN NEW GARDEN
A green-fingered Nottingham tenant has turned an unused garden into a little piece of paradise thanks to landlord Family First.
Yvonne Delenor, who lives at Millennium Court, Gabrielle Close, in Old Basford, Nottingham, originally hails from Kenya, in Africa, missed the bright colours and plants of the gardens in her native country. So she decided to approach Family First to see what support it could offer.
Yvonne, who has been a tenant of Family First, living at Millennium Court for eight years, said: “As I’m disabled, I found it very difficult to get around the garden outside Millennium Court but I wanted to be able to make the most of the outside space. I spoke to Family First and they came up with a number of ideas we could try.”
A shrub hedge was planted, a water butt installed - so plants can be easily watered, without having to carry buckets from inside - and benches have been put out so residents can make the most of sunny days in the garden. A Tarmac path has also been laid so all residents can access the area.
Yvonne has even started to grow vegetables in the garden, including cabbages, potatoes, sweet corn, runner beans and tomatoes.
“I love it,” said Yvonne. “I grow all kinds of crops and it’s great. I think we could make it even nicer still and I’ll carry on working with Andrea Barker, the Resident Involvement Officer, and the other tenants to achieve that.”