A beautiful garden filled with colourful flowers, fresh vegetables and herbs is growing outside the Slave Lake long-term care centre this summer.

For residents, the garden offers more than something beautiful to look at. It is a place to enjoy the outdoors, taste fresh produce and even bring back memories of home.

Tatianna Malmquist, recreation therapist for long-term care, says residents are brought outside almost every day when weather allows.

“There are so much happiness and peacefulness out here,” says Malmquist.

She describes this year’s garden as a “little oasis” and the most beautiful she has seen during her three summers working there.

Much of the garden is thanks to the Hospital Auxiliary.
Malmquist says Auxiliary members gather donations, purchase the flowers, and then come to the long-term care centre to plant them.

Eagle Tech Electric and Prax Enterprises sponsored the garden this year.
Residents’ family members have also donated plants and helped water and maintain the space.

Along with flowers, the garden includes strawberries, tomatoes, potatoes, corn, eggplants and herbs.

Earlier this summer, vegetables were used to make fresh garden salads.
Residents also enjoy picking strawberries and tomatoes.

“It feels like home for them,” says Malmquist.

The herbs can bring back memories, too. Malmquist recalls giving one resident sage to smell.

“She said, ‘Oh, it smells like what I used to make turkey,’” she says.
The garden also hosted a family barbecue this summer.

After a long winter, Malmquist says having a peaceful outdoor space makes a difference.

“Everybody comes out and their eyes light up,” she says. “It’s nothing but smiles.”

Malmquist hopes the garden will continue next summer, possibly with more vegetable boxes.
She says the support behind the garden makes a “giant, giant difference” in residents’ lives.

Julia Magsombol
Lakeside Leader