Andy and his team travelled to Belfast this month to place thousands of plants at the new Horatio’s Garden that they are creating at Musgrave Park Hospital.
The 1,800m2 of grounds at the Belfast hospital will become and healing and social space be used by patients and families of the spinal cord injuries unit all year round. Since many of the patients will be at the hospital for stays of several months, the design and plants have been chosen to give year round interest and variety. There will be spring bulbs and bright colours in summer. The trees have been chosen for year round interest with specimens like Parrotia persica and Liquidambar giving spectacular autumn displays as well as structural interest in the winter. As a sensory garden there will also be many varied sounds, textures and scents to enjoy. And many plants are bird, butterfly and other insect friendly species that will supply nesting materials and food to attract nature to the garden.
In addition to the planting there are many sheltered spots to sit and gather, a special Boccia court, a greenhouse and timber clad outdoor room with kitchen.
Andy says, “I work on a lot of private gardens which only get to be enjoyed by a very few people. To do something like this, which will benefit so many people for such a long time, is very rewarding, I have enjoyed the whole process of meeting the patients and staff and planning the space.”
“The average amount of time the patients will stay in the hospital is six months, and that’s a good chunk of their lives.
“The greatest challenge was thinking about the seasons and making it so that people will see something different every day.”
