In the cold of February 2024, staff and patients on one of the wards at Lanchester Road Hospital in Durham decided to get their gloves on and transform a barren space in the grounds.
What was once a chicken coop became the Together Garden – a place to relax and enjoy nature and peace.
The name grew out of the need for everybody to work together to make the garden bloom, and the plan for everybody to enjoy it!
One patient said: “The garden means the world to us. We’ve come together as a team to create stuff that we can cook and create things with and I love the colours and the vibrancy.”
Making everyone welcome
In August the garden welcomed visitors from across the hospital to an open day and although, it is a work in progress, the changes are already spectacular.
Even Bella the therapy dog came to visit, which might have helped to scare off a few of the hungry rabbits!
Victoria Welsh, the ward’s activity co-ordinator, is passionate about how being active is good for mental and physical health.
She loves the garden for its therapeutic benefits, as well as it being a beautiful place to relax, and said:
“I know the hard work that’s gone into this. It takes a lot of energy and commitment to get to this stage and it’s not just the physical work, it’s the planning involved too.
“People may see it as a simple task, but you’ve got to appreciate the energy and effort that goes into it. I’m overjoyed at what the garden looks like now as it was just a blank canvas. It’s great to see it evolve.”
Blossoming with confidence
Victoria added: “Transforming and maintaining the garden has helped to build confidence, self-esteem and ownership. Any part of the journey from now is how the patients can further develop their skills and build on them.
“If they’re in a place with their own garden it’s about being able to manage and have ownership of their own space. They have that now and it would be good to take that with them when they leave hospital.”
A growing passion for planting
The patients who have played key roles in designing and nurturing the garden are just as keen on their new patch of nature.
One said: “It means a lot to me. I enjoy gardening and I like to make it look nice for people in the future and hopefully move forward and make it look even better.”
The ward involved in the garden project is part of Tees, Esk and Wear Valleys NHS Foundation Trust’s Health and Justice Service, and specialises in supporting patients with learning disabilities as they prepare to return to the community.
- A video about the creation of the Together Garden can be viewed on our YouTube channel.
