Glasgow’s new Gro Garden

over recent weeks tCV’s Glasgow team, led by Senior Project officers Bo Couch and Craig Young, have been helping to develop the new Gro Garden at the Queen elizabeth university Hospital, in Govan, in the south-west of the city. the garden is deigned to provide a calm, welcoming and attractive space for hospital staff and patients, as well as Govan residents. And wildlife will benefit too.

the Gro Garden’s main feature is a timber-walled garden with 12 large planters and several ‘green roof’ shelters, all constructed of recycled timber. tCV’s volunteers have filled the planters with soil, which will feature a selection of shrubs, pollinator-friendly flowers, and some impressive specimen species. for watering the plants, two large wooden barrels will collect rainwater from the shelter roofs.

the green roof consists of a layer of compost wrapped in hessian and covered with broken slate chips. the volunteers made slits in the hessian through which they’ve planted a variety of sedum ‘plug’ plants. Sedums, often called stonecrops, are succulent flowering plants which are very hardy and don’t require extra watering or regular maintenance, so are ideally suited to roof gardens. And they are good for wildlife, attracting a wide variety of butterflies, bees and other insects.

much of the approximately 0.7hectare site, roughly the size of a football pitch, is being sown with wildflower meadow mixes, and our volunteers are also planting 5 large standard rowan trees.

wellbeing activities

the garden will officially open this autumn, after which we will run two 90minute dropin activity sessions on one day per week for staff, patients, and members of the local community. the sessions will be run by Rebecca Ramage, Senior Project officer, who says: “The activities will be mindful and creative, and inspired by nature and the garden itself. Sessions will include Hapa Zome (leaf dye), observational drawings, creating birdfeeders and making God’s eyes, to name just a few! I hope those who get involved will feel a sense of ownership and community spirit over the garden. Participants will be encouraged to stay for as long or as short as they like, and perhaps be inspired take their activity away with them to finish at home.”

the Gro Garden has been developed on behalf of nHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde, and designed by award-winning landscape architects erZ Studio and engineers woolgar Hunter. Glasgow wood has constructed the walled garden, planters and roof structures, whilst mw Groundworks have been responsible for the groundworks, paths, landscaping, and meadow planting. So, along with the input of tCV’s staff and volunteers, the Gro Garden has been very much a team effort.