Horatio’s Garden is a project to bring gardens to the spinal units across the UK. Following a spinal injury patients can be hospitalised for up to 18 months while they adjust and recover, weeks and months spent on the same ward, the same four walls. Many hospitals used to have gardens, but these spaces have been forgotten or swallowed up. There is an obvious benefit, backed up by research, to patients. Gardens are wonderful spaces to escape to, away from the ward, to feel wind and rain, to touch and smell plants and reconnect with nature away from the bland confines of a ward. It’s been shown to be particularly beneficial to spinal injury patients whose recoveries are lengthy and life changing.
The initial project began in the grounds of Salisbury hospital and was designed by Cleve West. Horatio’s garden are currently fundraising for gardens at the units in Stoke Mandeville and Scotland.
I was invited to an event at Yeo Valley to listen to the food writer Rose Prince talk about food and seasonal eating. It was a fundraiser for Horatia’s garden. I attended as a guest, the profits of the day were donated to Horatia’s Garden. Along with a small group of people we listen to the food writer Rose Prince talk about her book on the benefits of good seasonal food, a perfect partnership for the ethos of Yeo Valley and Horatia’s garden who use horticultural therapy with patients. The garden exists as much as a space for patients to connect with nature, but also to re-connect with their families beyond the ward. Salisbury have cake and tea afternoons, soup and bread lunches using food as a shared experience. Following Rose’s talk there was lunch and a chance to chat to other people attending the event; good food and company, my company was my friend Chris of Thinly Spread.
Yeo Valley has a wonderful cafe in their organic garden, the views are very special and the food is seasonal, as much as possible comes from the garden or is locally sourced. Chris and I don’t eat meat and both have a keen interest in seasonal food, strawberries for me are June food, asparagus is always British and only during the season, Autumn is for fresh picked apples and blackberries. It was good to have lunch and catch up with views of the garden beyond. It made a strong connection to the aims for Horatio’s Garden.
Lunch
Yeo Valley Cafe Interior. Stylish and Quirky.
Strolling around the garden after lunch was a lesson in the value of outdoor spaces to revitalise. Like all gardens it offers something different with every season and I can appreciate what an antidote a garden is to a lengthy stay on a hospital ward, it is a place to collect thoughts, spent time in fresh air and for the patients in Horatio’s Garden adjust to life with paralysis.
Am slightly in love with the Yeo Valley Garden:
For more about the Yeo Valley garden and their events click here. To discover the Horatia’s Garden project click here.
Disclosure: I was an invited guest by Yeo Valley. All words and opinions are my own.
It lovely to spend time with you! Gorgeous pictures in this post madam – I think my photo is of you taking a picture of that table and chair with the garden behind it! x
Oh this looks lovely – I’ve long wanted to visit Yeo Valley – off to look at their website now. Looking forward to a Horatio’s Garden meet up with Chris and your good self soon 🙂
The Yeo Valley gardens look gorgeous and the Horatio’s gardens sounds like a fantastic project. I love Rose Prince’s books.
Love your photos, and what a delicious looking lunch! I definitely agree with the restorative powers of being outdoors around nature. Green spaces are so important, no matter how small or large they are.
I love gardens as a way of helping people, wonderful sensory places for the mind and body. A subject close to my heart as I was a gardener for a while for a community group for people with different conditions.Â
Pretty garden, love the chard – a favourite of mine.Â
I’m not surprised you’re in love with Yeo Valley’s garden – I am too after reading and looking at your photos! So good too to learn about Horatio’s Garden project. Nature has so many ways of helping people to heal and feel better.Â
what a lovely project that Yeo Valley are involved with. I can imagine it helps not only the patent but their families as well having such lovely surroundings in a garden
I remember seeing this garden on television and thinking what an inspiring place it was. Gardens can be so beneficial in so many medical areas.
Horatios garden sounds like such a wonderful concept. And Yeo Valley, so pretty and looks like an ideal place to visit
It looks a gorgeous place, no wonder you’ve fallen for it. And absolutely love the concept – being in a garden would raise my spirits too #hdygg
Gardens are such a tonic and I know a walk round min in any season can lift my spirits. What a wonderful project this is then and I love your photos.
I’m so gutted to have missed this, looks like you managed to have some fun without me 😉Â
Glad you had a lovely day as always in the beautiful Yeo Valley garden.Â