Some of you will remember Curtis Fraser, who generously shared his story with all of us back in February having discovered Horatio’s Garden London & South East soon into his stay at the London Spinal Cord Injury Centre (LSCIC).
Now, we’re delighted to see that his tale is having an impact on a national scale, as this weekend he featured in a new piece for The Telegraph entitled ‘How Gardening Saved My Life’ by Morgan Lawrence.
To read the full article, please click here
(Please note that the piece is unfortunately behind The Telegraph paywall)
Reporting on recent research carried out by Natural England, in partnership with University of Exeter and the Royal Horticultural Society, the article details that whilst the positive psychological benefits of gardening have long been known to gardeners, it is now something that is being increasingly investigated and substantiated by the scientific community.
As the piece acknowledges, lockdown has led to the worthwhile effects of the natural world coming into considerably sharper focus. In turn, people are more interested than ever to discover how green spaces can help both themselves and others, particularly in instances whereby those gardening have faced personal struggles.
Curtis is one such individual and the new piece sees him featuring alongside three other inspirational gardeners, who have all had their lives changed for the better, against all odds, by gardening.
He was interviewed especially for the piece, with Head Gardener Ashley Edwards also sharing a how incredible it’s been to watch Curtis’ progress in the two’s one-to-one horticultural therapy sessions.
The short piece ends with Curtis mentioning how he frequently tells his fellow patients to visit the garden, who have unanimously returned to confirm the unique difference it’s made to their own health and wellbeing. Indeed, he believes little pockets of greenery hold hope for everyone, with Morgan artfully finishing the piece with Curtis’ greatest piece of advice:
“The garden helped my recovery so much. Even for a little moment, I’d tell people to visit one. It can clear your mind.”
We’re delighted to see Curtis’ thoughtful words and story reaching a new audience and are enormously grateful to Morgan Lawrence and The Telegraph for making this possible.
