“David had a trailer he would hook up to his mobility scooter and head down the street and get the soil he wanted, along with the seeds and plants and all the bits for the sprinkler system,” Ms Roche said.
“Then he would come back and toil away in the garden each day.
“He would go out there every day, weather permitting, he just loved being out there.”
Dimboola campus Meaningful Life co-ordinator Megan Naylor supported Mr Bugg with his project.
She said everything he had grown was either consumed at the campus or given to the community.
“A lot of the produce is used in our activities with the residents,” Ms Naylor said.
“The residents have already made David’s beetroot relish, which has proved a big hit, and he will be remembered fondly every time we enjoy the fresh produce from his tireless work.”
The Bretag Garden is one of a handful of courtyards where residents can enjoy fresh air and sunshine.
During a residents’ meeting, the area was elected by resident Graeme Bond as the potential site of a painted mural.
Dimboola artist Coleen Bouts, who has painted other murals at the hospital and beyond, began work on the project. It was then Mr Bugg began work on the garden upgrade.
Grampians Health acting director of aged care services Sarah Kleinitz said Dimboola’s encouragement of Mr Bugg was a great example of how Grampians Health’s aged care communities actively supported a person’s entitlement to live an engaged, meaningful and purposeful life.
“Grampians Health is Australia’s largest provider of public sector aged care and our care communities, and the commitment of Mr Bugg and Ms Bouts demonstrates how our ‘Meaningful Life’ model of care operates on the principle that it takes a community to support our residents to live a meaningful life,” Ms Kleinitz said.
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