Imagine a wilder world on your doorstep, with more nature everywhere in urban and rural areas. Read about how residents of Launton Grange Care Home in Bicester created a wildlife oasis in their grounds as part of Team Wilder.

Back in summer 2021, Launton Grange Care Home decided to turn their garden into a wildlife oasis as part of a national Ideal Carehomes Garden in Bloom competition.

This is an annual competition run throughout all Ideal Carehomes to engage their teams, residents and the local community in creating wonderful outside spaces for everyone to enjoy.

The residents added the following features to their garden to make it more attractive for wildlife:

• giant bug hotel and hedgehog house
• bird feeders
• water baths
• bird houses

There are also plenty pf plants for pollinators with lots of lavender and meadow cranesbill in particular. The residents would like to install a pond, too.

The residents all took part in 30 Days Wild, The Wildlife Trusts' annual challenge to do one wild thing every day during June, which has been shown to help with wellbeing. 

During the summer, Ed Munday, BBOWT's Wild Bicester project officer, visited the care home and gave a talk on wilder gardens to the residents, and a local volunteer group Bicester Green Gym came and helped in the garden.

Together with another super local charity, Bicester Green, Ed also came to make and install two hedgehog homes with the residents.

The Wild Bicester project has also loaned a trail camera to the home which is currently set up in the garden to capture any wild visitors.

They're not stopping there, the care home has plans to keep improving their grounds and hope to build a small pod, install more feeding stations and animal-friendly homes, and plant some more fruit-baring trees and berry bushes.

In fantastic news, Launton Grange won the national Garden in Bloom competition 2021 and were commended “for their resident engagement. They created an educational theme and linked up with the local Wildlife Trust to identify ways to attract wildlife to their gardens. They have already seen an increase in visits from wildlife which residents are thoroughly enjoying.

"This is an ongoing project for the gardeners at Launton Grange as they hope that in the future, they will be a hub for releasing rescued hedgehogs.” 

Congratulations to the residents and in particular to Danielle Garnon, Lifestyle Manager, who has been the driving force behind the project.

Find out more about our community projects