My name is Ivana and I’m 81 years old. I live in north London and I used to be an architect. After sustaining a spinal injury, I spent time in two private hospitals before being transferred to the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital. It was here that I discovered Horatio’s Garden London & South East which is absolutely marvellous.
When I first went out into the garden I felt full of life. I was so happy because I’d been in private hospitals without such gardens, but now I felt alive. Although I’m a rubbish gardener, I love lovely gardens. I’ve tried to learn more about the plants since being here, some of which I’ve never seen before, and I even found one which smells of chocolate! I enjoy this garden tremendously, I enjoy life and I’m a very happy person even though I’m disabled now.
The garden makes a big difference! All the greenery helps to cheer you up as you can look out of a window and it’s just beautiful. I also really love the garden room as I can get a coffee and enjoy the sociable space. Or if I’m looking for a bit of quiet, I can go to the garden pods and enjoy the peacefulness. I use the garden every minute of the day whenever I can. I love to be out here all the time, even at night – I can’t imagine how boring days would be without the garden.
I have also made a lot of friends in Horatio’s Garden which is fantastic. We enjoy playing games together, having competitions in the garden, having conversations and it’s so jolly. My family live quite far away, but when they are able to come and visit they really like spending time in the garden too. I’ve shown them all the trees and my daughter was amazed when she saw a number of plants and butterflies that she had never seen before – it’s absolutely out of this world. And when my family are unable to visit, I go to the pods with other patients and talk to their families which is really enjoyable. I also like spending time with Head Gardener Ashley and Garden Administrator Tracey as they’re so nice, and the volunteers are wonderful too. We’re all good friends which is lovely.
Horatio’s Garden London & South East is a lifesaver. You relax here, you meditate here, you sleep here, you dream here, until someone wakes you up to offer you a flower or a tomato. I want to stay here forever, I want to live here. In the other hospitals, you’re sitting in bed and doing nothing. If you told them about this garden, they probably wouldn’t believe it, how beautiful it is.