Plants&Gardens
A HORTICULTURAL HAVEN While Shire loves to share public gardens around the patch with you, sometimes a smaller, more intimate green space can have an even bigger impact on people’s lives…
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hances are you may not have heard of the charity Horatio’s Garden, but you will certainly have heard of its public ambassador – one Alan Titchmarsh MBE, the nation’s favourite gardener. Alan recently appeared in a BBC Lifeline Appeal to champion these very special gardens, which are created at hospital sites to offer sanctuary to patients and families. There are five Horatio’s Gardens in England and Scotland, with work in progress to add a sixth, in Wales, and another in Northern Ireland. The charity’s fourth garden, Horatio’s Midlands, opened at the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries at the Robert Jones and Agnes Hunt Orthopaedic Hospital, near Oswestry in 2019 and was designed by well-known Gardeners’ Question Time panellist Bunny Guinness. One of the patients who found it an antidote to her situation was Pip, who spent months at the centre after a riding accident. The garden became a place of solace, where she could spend precious time with her husband, Tony. A tranquil space for healing and re-learning She said: “I’d not been outside for such a long time. I remember going to the garden for the first time; the sun was just peeking through and it touched some green leaves in front of me. It was the most amazing feeling.” After Pip’s accident she was left tetraplegic, and shortly after she contracted pneumonia. When she was finally strong enough, she was transferred to the RJAH and it wasn’t long before she became
ABOUT HORATIO’S GARDEN
Horatio’s Garden is a national charity that works to improve the lives of all those affected by spinal injury, through creating and nurturing beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres. The team grows communities to support patients and their loved ones as they adjust to what are often life-changing injuries. The environments they create become an integral part of patients’ lives over many
a daily visitor to Horatio’s Garden Midlands. Finding pleasure in the simplicity of the great outdoors, she began attending every workshop she possibly could with head gardener Imogen.
Long journey
At first, Pip worked with an occupational therapist, who sowed seeds as she chose them in her horticultural therapy sessions. With the seasons shifting and her confidence growing, she began flower arranging, directing Imogen how and where to cut Pip with one of her creations each stem and where to place it in the display. Another project involved designing and planting up a miniature garden, with a “Seeing tiny hand-painted house. Fully absorbed, it was the sun only in hindsight that Pip realised how skilfully touch the the ventures had supported her rehabilitation, leaves was giving her the opportunity to practise directing an amazing the people helping her – a vital skill that would make her return home just a little easier. feeling” Pip said: “Everyone at Horatio’s Garden, especially Imogen, made a huge difference to my stay and recovery, just as the garden, garden room, craft and films have too. I can’t thank you enough for creating this beautiful place.” Regarding the appeal, Alan Titchmarsh said: “This is a chance to demonstrate what I’ve always believed: that gardens are great healers. The charity truly deserves the support of every one of us.” months, complementing the clinical care from the centres’ teams. The charity employs a head gardener and an admin assistant to care for each garden alongside volunteers, and to support the many activities organised by the charity. These include garden therapy, art therapy, book and poetry clubs, craft groups, concerts and teas. The charity is named after Horatio Chapple, a volunteer at the Salisbury centre who had the idea for a garden and researched its design, before his untimely death age 17. www.horatiosgarden.org.uk January/February 2022 | SHIRE MAGAZINE 95
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