We were thrilled to feature in Saturday 11th July’s issue of How To Spend It, the magazine which has been part of the Financial Times for more than 40 years and is widely regarded as the benchmark for luxury lifestyle publications.
Horatio’s Garden was mentioned in both the ‘Editor’s Letter: What is Beauty Now?’ as well as in a lengthier piece entitled ‘Mind, Body and Soil’ which can be found on page 36 of the issue.
To read the article originally published as ‘Mind, Body and Soil’ please click here.
The former, by editor Jo Ellison, asked about our new priorities in a post-pandemic world, examining the beauty industry in light of the lockdown surge in the self-care beauty market. The editorial featured a stunning photo of our Salisbury garden, captured by Clive Nichols, which complemented Ellison’s musings as to how the multibillion beauty business will change, including the question of whether the trend in ‘clean’ beauty is still ‘poised to tidy up.’
The ‘Mind, Body and Soil’ article itself focusses on various new book releases, which all took different, valuable approaches to promoting and discussing the benefits the natural world holds for people’s health. Whilst some focussed on the physical benefits, including gardening being a form of exercise and a way to top-up on vitamin D, others centred around the way gardens can support people suffering with depression, anxiety, loneliness, isolation and stress.
One of the works featured was Sue Stuart-Smith’s recent release, The Well Gardened Mind: Rediscovering Nature in the Modern World, a beautifully written book weaving anecdotal evidence of gardens helping people throughout history and across the world with her expert knowledge of psychotherapy.
As a result of her featuring us within the book’s pages, the article too mentions Horatio’s Garden as a key example of the therapeutic gardens that have begun appearing in hospitals, specialist units and hospices. Alongside a photo of the woodland garden in Horatio’s Garden Scotland, cleverly designed by James Alexander-Sinclair, the article cites that our gardens amongst others are perhaps the ‘greatest illustration of the power of nature to lift the human spirit.’
Furthermore, the piece also includes a short contribution from Sue’s husband, Tom Stuart-Smith, whom many of you will know as the celebrated designer of our fifth project, Horatio’s Garden London.
Tom shares his belief that ‘As the urban environment gets more oppressive and more structured, there is an increasing need for spaces where people can form their own stories.’ In turn, the feature interprets that Tom places emphasis on creating an immersive atmosphere in all his gardens, which thoughtfully ensures that they uplift all who enter them. Indeed, this is something that Tom’s designs for Horatio’s Garden London consciously do, which is perhaps why the piece goes on to regard the sanctuary as a ‘flagship project for the mental wellbeing benefits of all gardens in NHS hospitals.’
