Gardening experts offer glimpse of life in a retirement village

A taste of retirement came to Okells Garden Centre in Cheshire this week, as two celebrity gardeners offered tips and advice for green-fingered retirees. 

The BBC’s Joe Swift and Former Head Gardener of Tatton Park Sam Youd entertained guests with a series of presentations at the garden centre.  Their aim was to bring the audience a taste of daily life at Inspired Villages, a new 151-apartment retirement development in Tattenhall. 

Joe and Sam shared a number of tips throughout the day, gleaned from their lifetimes spent in the garden.  Their top tips for older gardeners included:

• Get the balance correct – don’t be a slave to the garden.
• Search out interesting plants that you can learn about and talk about.
• Minimise maintenance by allowing grass to grow longer, introduce containers and choose plants which require reduced watering. 
• Immerse yourself in the hobby – get stuck in and visit your local garden centre for advice.
• Keep a good notebook and diary.
• Above all – enjoy it!  

Sam and Joe's gardening tips can be seen in full on this short video clip.

James Cobb, sales and marketing director for Inspired Villages, said: “Sam and Joe have offered some excellent gardening tips at Okells and in doing so, they’ve demonstrated the kind of exciting activities we will be offering frequently to our residents in Tattenhall. 

“If there’s one thing we’re keen to convey, it’s that gardening doesn’t have to be a chore.  Our new Cheshire village will allow residents to get involved with gardening as much or as little as they like. Throughout the year, it will be looked after by our team of expert gardeners who will plant and maintain the grounds.”    

Inspired Villages is developing a new retirement village in Tattenhall that will offer a wide range of fantastic facilities for the over-65s.  In phase one, apartment prices at Inspired Villages in Tattenhall range from £259,000 to £558,000.  Find out more about the individually-styled apartments at Tattenhall here.

For more information please visit the sales suite or call local adviser Trish Rooney on 07469 856190.