What We Do
Horatio’s Garden is a charity that creates and lovingly cares for beautiful accessible gardens in NHS spinal injury centres.
Leading garden designers develop the stunning sanctuaries for patients, creating an environment which becomes an integral part of their lives as well as those of families and friends whilst spending many months in hospital.
Spinal cord injuries are traumatic, life-changing events. Patients often have little or no access to the outside world during their hospital stay, yet research shows that being in contact with a natural environment contributes to an improved sense of wellbeing, which can have a positive impact on patient rehabilitation.
The charity’s volunteer teams, led by the head gardeners, keep the gardens looking beautiful, help run activities for patients and contribute to the happy, uplifting atmosphere which permeates Horatio’s Gardens. All our volunteers share an enjoyment of being in the gardens, some are former patients and some are young ‘Volunteens’ seeking life experiences.
Horatio’s Gardens provide patients with somewhere to find much-needed solace in an oasis of planting even if on bed rest; the garden is accessible for all. Patients can take part in gentle rehabilitation activities in the gardens organised by the charity, including garden therapy, art therapy and music events.
An essential part of the atmosphere in the gardens is created by the sharing of cups of tea and homemade cakes with patients, family or friends, volunteers and staff. Horatio’s Gardens are places where positive conversation and kindness is central.
“The first time I went into the garden I was overwhelmed with tears and a sense of relief and excitement that there was somewhere to go other than the ward.”
Garden Therapy
The charity’s head gardeners, assisted by volunteers, run regular garden therapy sessions with patients in collaboration with the hospitals’ occupational therapy teams. Patients enjoy the purposeful activities which gardening offers for rehabilitation.
Patient-specific therapeutic and rehabilitative goals are set which focus on maximising social, cognitive, physical and psychological functioning to enhance general health and wellness.
Weather permitting, sessions are run outside and engage patients in all aspects of plant cultivation using specialist tools. Nothing is left to
waste – we eat, re-use and sell our produce which adds to patients’ feelings of purpose, pride and achievement.
Equipped with new skills, many patients return home with a new or renewed passion for gardening.
Garden therapy
Garden therapy sessions take place in all Horatio's Gardens. Led by the charity's garden therapists and supported by volunteers, they offer patients the chance to improve on or learn new gardening skills. The activities can help to improve patients' hand dexterity and mental wellbeing, as well as giving a sense of achievement. Garden therapy afternoons are social occasions with patients' families and friends joining in too.
Plant cultivation
Horatio's Gardens have bed- and wheelchair-accessible greenhouses that enable patients and volunteers to grow and cultivate herbs, salad leaves, vegetables and flowers. They also offer delicate plants shelter from the elements.
The Garden as a therapeutic space
Horatio’s Gardens provide patients with somewhere to find much-needed solace in an oasis of planting. Even if on bed rest, the gardens are accessible for all. Leaving the ward to go out into the garden and enjoy fresh air in a safe and beautiful environment enhances wellbeing for patients who spend months in hospital.
Working together in the garden
Each garden has a Head Gardener and many volunteers as well as a plethora of different visitors who all work together to enrich the patients' experience during their time in hospital. This includes artists, musicians and people running events and activities such as the 'Looking out Projects'.
Tea & Cake
A welcome and essential part of each Horatio’s Garden is tea and homemade cake. Each garden has a fully accessible and well-stocked garden room where patients can enjoy a cup of tea or coffee, a piece of cake and a chat. The garden rooms are also places to meet other patients, invite friends and family for a cup of tea or just sit and read a book or newspaper. Volunteers regularly bake delicious treats for the patients and visitors.
Time away from the ward in an informal and relaxing setting can be very beneficial, as patients are often in hospital for long periods of time.
“Thank you for the cakes and drinks, you all make everyone feel included and special.”
Tea and cake
Delicious homemade cake with a lovely cup of tea.
Horatio's Garden mugs for the perfect cup of tea
Beautiful Emma Bridgewater mugs made exclusively for Horatio's Garden.
Lots of cake
The team of volunteer bakers always ensure there is plenty of delicious homemade cake.
Fully accessible garden rooms
Each Garden has a fully accessible garden room with tea and coffee making facilities and volunteers on hand to help, if needed.
Art in the Gardens
Each year we invite an artist to exhibit in the gardens. Through the summer months different artists in residence draw and paint alongside patients in the gardens. Often patients get involved and start painting themselves. A ‘Looking Out’ project, run by artist in residence Miranda Creswell in Salisbury, has culminated in pictures featuring an ordnance survey map of the view from the patient’s room and the many features that make up the view. This project has been extended to the second Horatio’s Garden in Glasgow.
Twice yearly sculpture exhibitions give the gardens a new dimension. Patients get the opportunity to meet the artists and experience thought provoking art on a daily basis. Bruce Munro’s light installation in the garden room in Salisbury during winter 2016 was incredible. Taking nature as inspiration, the audio-visual work called ‘Reflections II’ created a calming and relaxing atmosphere in the garden room. Other sculptors’ work we have exhibited include Mark Coreth, David Worthington, Rebecca Newnham, Simon Gudgeon, Fiamma Colonna-Montagu, Sean Henry, Ben Burrell and Julian Wild.
Arts in the gardens
Throughout the year different artists and sculptors display their work in the gardens. This is part of Fiamma Colonna-Montagu's work displayed in Horatio's Garden Salisbury in Summer 2017.
Drinks in the summer sun
Horatio's Garden is place for all the enjoy, whatever the weather!
Sculpture in the garden
In 2016 Bruce Munro brought ‘Reflections II’ to Horatio's Garden Salisbury, a new series of beautiful and immersive audio-visual digital animations.
"It is a pleasure to be involved with Horatio’s Garden and the Spinal Centre at Salisbury District Hospital. Reflections are landscapes of animated light for the mind and spirit to wonder…"
Winter sculpture
The gardens look gorgeous no matter what the season. This photo was taken early in the morning in January 2017 at Horatio's Garden Salisbury, featuring one of Simon Gudgeon's sculptures.
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