Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland has welcomed its nine-time RHS Chelsea Flower Show gold medal winning designer Andy Sturgeon to site this week at a key stage of planting ahead of opening for patients at Musgrave Park Hospital.
The beautiful, vibrant, fully accessible Horatio’s Garden is the nationwide charity’s seventh project and will nurture the wellbeing of thousands of people after spinal injury from across Northern Ireland.
Designer Andy Sturgeon was joined by Head Gardener Matthew Lee, Horatio’s Garden Founder & Chair of Trustees, Dr Olivia Chapple, as well as a team of volunteers both from the charity and from the College of Agriculture Food & Rural Affairs (CAFRE) Greenmount Campus to plant the thousands of perennials within the garden, with much of the hard landscaping now finished and the trees and shrubs in position. The diverse planting scheme will create a beautiful and engaging place for recovery all year-round.
Andy Sturgeon said: “It’s fantastic to have arrived at this crucial stage of establishing the vibrant and calming soft landscaping for this special garden. It’s a privilege to be creating this place that will foster wellbeing during long periods of rehabilitation and have a transformative effect on thousands of patients and their loved ones.”
With 13,000 bulbs in the ground, the garden will be full of hope and colour in spring, whilst the planting will offer a comparable kaleidoscope of seasonal hues in autumn. Summer will be a calming oasis of immersive greens, whilst winter will be home to sculptural branches, seedheads, evergreen hedging and subtle hints of colour and scent. On average, patients with spinal injuries spend between two to six months in hospital, meaning the garden must be as nurturing, inspiring and interactive in the depths of winter as it is in the height of summer.
Matthew Lee, Head Gardener of Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland said: “It’s incredibly exciting to see this garden and community of hope and recovery coming to life. Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland will not just be aesthetically beautiful, but has been designed with intent, passion and thought, to inspire people to engage with and utilise the space all year-round.”
The 1800m2 garden will be fully accessible throughout for people in wheelchairs and beds, ensuring everyone spending time in the Spinal Cord Injuries Unit at Musgrave Park Hospital can physically and mentally benefit from the garden throughout their long stays in hospital. The sanctuary will also be open to those staying in the Amputee Rehabilitation Unit. Patients’ families, friends, and NHS staff working in the units will be able to enjoy the garden all year-round.
Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland, which has been carefully designed by Andy Sturgeon in collaboration with patients, their loved ones, NHS staff, and representatives from the charity, will feature:
- An Iroko wood, timber-clad garden room with accessible kitchen, offering a warm and welcoming place for socialising and workshops run by the charity throughout the year.
- An accessible Griffin Glasshouse and three custom-made raised beds, where patients, their loved ones and NHS staff can grow their own plants and help to nurture the garden.
- A beautiful Donegal quartz dry stone wall water feature with three water chutes, handmade by Thea Thompson ceramics.
- Two Iroko wood, timber-clad garden pods, offering a place for privacy, reflection and shelter.
- A large timber-clad pergola, creating a green tunnel of scent and colour, alongside eight uniquely handcrafted Torc Pots.
- A Boccia Court, allowing the fully inclusive and adaptable Paralympic sport to be played in the garden, which doubles as a sociable area with Fermob seating for patients to come together with family and friends, including for events such as summer barbecues. The space is enveloped by Donegal quartz dry stone walling, interspersed with timber fins and custom-made wooden seating.
Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland is the charity’s seventh garden. The project is in collaboration with Belfast Health & Social Care Trust and partners from across Northern Ireland, who are all working to transform the lives of people after spinal injury for many years to come. The garden is currently being brought to life by McCusker Contracts Ltd and project managed by Gleeds.
The project is funded entirely by donations and has been generously supported by the MITRE Trust and the National Garden Scheme, as well as members of the public. Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland has been the official charity partner of Ulster Rugby since 2022, with the team kindly supporting the ongoing appeal for funds to annually maintain the garden in 2023/24.
Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland, offering regular garden therapy sessions and arts workshops, will be a vital place for reflection and adjustment for patients and their loved ones facing life-changing spinal injuries from across Northern Ireland. The charity’s research shows that 98% of beneficiaries see and improvement in their wellbeing, with 88% reporting that the gardens have supported their mental and physical rehabilitation.
Click the following links to donate and find out more about volunteering in Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland
Click here to join Head Gardener Matthew Lee on site in Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland in our new film
