Blossoming seeds of hope

On any given day you’ll find Registered Nurse Jake Quidit in the terrace garden outside the spinal ward of the State Rehabilitation Service (SRS) tending to the beautiful, flowering garden to create an outdoor space that seeds joy.

This week fellow SRS staff joined Jake in a ‘busy bee’ on the level one garden to plant donated herbs, passionfruit and flowering annuals.

When the garden fell victim to last year’s heat wave, Jake and a garden-loving inpatient, hatched a plan to replace the ailing plants with colourful blooms, flowering natives and edible plants.

The garden has been embraced by the entire rehab community with patients involved in planting and weeding as part of their occupational therapy and around 20 staff regularly giving of their time to ensure it continues to thrive.

Jake said he discovered a passion for gardening during COVID-19 and the mind and body connection of working with your hands.

“When you see a seed growing you see hope,” he said. His sentiment is of particular significance in the spinal ward where patients are being treated following a catastrophic illness or injury.

“I see positive changes in patients’ responses when surrounded by something familiar, or a nostalgic moment in patients with a brain or spinal injury and stroke, a smile or a look of calm,” Jake said.

“One of our consultants recommended sunshine therapy for biological health processes, or Vitamin D, but also for a change of atmosphere and to be exposed to the outside world.

“I felt I could create a place a place of hope, joy and peace. These are reflective in the garden in colour, fruits and smell and provide sensory stimulation.”

Jake has created a layered garden for optimal growth that’s now flowering in an array of blues, purples and white.

“It’s a true joy for me to contribute and to encourage my colleagues to do the same,” he said.

SRS Spinal Ward Nurse Unit Manager, Anne Watts, credited the team for volunteering to help in the garden, donating plants and enthusiastically supporting fundraising events to help pay for garden supplies.

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