Whittington Health garden barbecue party
Over 300 people attended the official opening of Whittington Health’s beautiful new Oasis Sensory Garden on Thursday 14 June with staff and garden funders enjoying an evening of good food, drink and music.The seeds for the idea of a sensory garden came out of a Kings Fund project workshop attended by Whittington Health’s Jason Whittaker and colleagues.
Jason explained “We were tasked with creating something beneficial for staff and patients, and that’s when we turned our attention to the disused tennis court area. It made sense to transform the area into something beautiful for staff, patients and their families to enjoy.”
Chairman Joe Liddane, who addressed guests from a custom built ‘royal balcony’ in tune with the recent jubilee events said “A lot of hard work has gone into building this garden, and I think we all agree, it is now a fantastic space for everyone to use which we can be very proud of.”
Given the recent weather experienced across London, we were delighted that the rain held off as staff and garden funders enjoyed the plants and architecture, accompanied by music provided resident DJ Eddie Kent.
The planning and consultations into constructing the sensory garden were meticulous, but after many different designs, it was decided that environmental regeneration charity Groundwork London, would be the best organisation to work with. After fundraising for a year in partnership with Groundwork, work began on the sensory garden in February 2012.
The design was informed by consultation with patients, staff and local residents. The space caters for people with mobility issues and visual impairment and is a place to relax amongst carefully selected plants, flowers and artwork. Stroking stones, animal shaped seating and a timber pergola to provide shade have been incorporated. The planting stimulate the senses, for example lavender for scent, lambs ears for touch, red-barked dogwood for sight, pheasant grass for sound and edible plants such as jasmine flowers and mint. Key aspects of the design include contrasting colours and tactile paving to indicate changes in surface and level and define edges and raised as well as ground level beds to ensure that plants are easily accessible for all.
Ben Coles, Director, Groundwork London explained the thought process behind the garden and said “We wanted to create a great sensory garden; this Oasis Sensory Garden has been built to a very high standard and we are really pleased with the results. It was a delight to work on this project, and I would especially like to thank the funders, Whittington Health and everyone who has been involved.”