A garden where children and seniors flourish

It's spring 2024 and it's raining outside. It's a good thing that there are several pavilions in the garden of the Op Lamp care home in Wasserbillig. Mr Schmitz is sitting under one of them on his walking frame, saving strawberries. "They need to be repotted, cleaned and thinned out, then they'll be really beautiful again in summer, " explains the 84-year-old. He goes into raptures, telling us that he used to go to agricultural school and how far apart the fruit needs to be planted to realise their full potential. The three primary school pupils Pit, Lou and Tom listen attentively to Mr Schmitz as they pluck the brown leaves from the strawberries. This is the second time they have visited the nursing home with their class and they will be coming back many more times.

The multi-generational garden project, for which the Op Lamp care home and the primary school in Wasserbillig have been working together, has now been running for two years. Teacher Steve Wirtz regularly visited the senior citizens with his last class. The idea came to him over dinner with his wife, Mireille Wirtz, the director of the care home. "I suggested a gardening project in the home together with the children. She liked that. Then it happened very quickly and we just got started."