The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) and Colchester & Ipswich Hospital’s Charity are delighted to announce the opening of a new wellbeing garden at Colchester Hospital in Essex. The garden, designed by renowned landscape designer and RHS Ambassador Adam Frost, officially opened with a celebration event today.

The new garden aims to provide NHS staff, patients, and visitors with a calming space in which to rest and recharge and will become a vital hub for the community, offering a number of activities for those working in or visiting the hospital to take part in.

Situated at the entrance of the hospital, and close to its dedicated Cancer Wellbeing Centre, sustainability has been at the heart of the build and the garden has been designed to be resilient to climate change. A series of paths weave through trees, wildflowers and drought-tolerant planting – including cistus, geraniums and a range of grasses - reflecting the dry conditions of the region. The new layout comprises both sociable and more private seating areas to accommodate those seeking a place to pause and unwind.

This project is part of a national initiative launched by the RHS and the Greener Communities Fund which is a partnership between NHS Charities Together and Hubbub, funded by the Starbucks 5p cup charge. This initiative is aiming to inspire a network of wellbeing gardens across England, addressing the need for staff to have spaces to rest and recharge, which was especially highlighted during the pandemic. The first garden in this initiative opened at University Hospital Lewisham in 2022. Case studies from the project will feed into the RHS Wellbeing Garden Blueprint. 

NHS staff played a crucial role in the garden's development through an engagement process to ensure it meets the needs of both staff and patients. Adam Frost, who has won seven gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, incorporated the staff’s feedback into his final design. Additionally, the RHS collaborated with the hospital trust's sustainability team to support the NHS’s goal of achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2040.

As part of the project the RHS Community Outreach team is running gardening for wellbeing activities onsite for NHS staff and patients over a three-year period, including chilli growing challenges and bird box making. The team has also built relationships with several local organisations to spread the joy of gardening to those living nearby. Among these groups is Together We Grow, a charity which promotes the social and emotional wellbeing of asylum seekers and refugees in the local area.

To ensure the ongoing sustainability of the garden, the RHS Community Outreach team has worked with local volunteers to create a gardening club to help manage and maintain the garden once it is built.

Adam Frost, award-winning landscape designer and television presenter, said: “It’s been an honour to design this garden as I know it’s going to be an invaluable resource to so many people working at and visiting Colchester Hospital. People need somewhere tucked away where they can pause before going through the hospital entrance; I want people to feel cloaked and comfortable. On a personal level, this is my way of saying thank you to everybody that works hard in the NHS.”

Mandy Jordan, Associate Director of Charities and Voluntary Services for East Suffolk & North Essex NHS Foundation Trust, said: “We are thrilled that Adam has given up his time to develop this design for our new garden at Colchester Hospital.  His ideas together with the support from the RHS and others have turned his vision into a reality. The garden will make a real difference to everyone using Colchester Hospital and we look forward to watching staff and patients enjoy the relaxing new space over the coming months and years as the plants grow and change with the seasons. As a local NHS charity we have made a firm commitment to continue to improve the wellbeing of local NHS staff but cannot do so without the ongoing support of our communities. Together we can make a difference.”

Claire Custance, RHS Community Outreach Manager South, East and Yorkshire, said: “We are thrilled to have partnered with the NHS and Adam Frost to create the wellbeing garden at Colchester Hospital. This collaboration embodies our commitment to supporting people’s health and wellbeing through the healing power of plants and being in nature. Together, we are creating spaces that enable both peaceful reflection and hands on gardening activity, reflecting the profound impact of gardens on our overall wellbeing.”

Listen to a moving recital performed by the Colchester Cancer Choir as part of the Wellbeing Garden opening. 

For more information about the Wellbeing Garden and the health benefits gardening brings, please visit www.rhs.org.uk