Horatio’s Garden at 2021 Chelsea Flower Show
The world’s greatest horticultural event, the RHS Chelsea Flower Show is just a week away. Being that this is one of the most exciting events in the gardening calendar, Horatio’s Garden will once again be attending the Show with its bright and beautiful trade stand, situated on stand CW313.
With vibrant planting conceptualised by award-winning garden designer and creator of Horatio’s Garden Midlands, Bunny Guinness, the stand will be full of beautiful blooms flourishing at their autumnal finest. Bunny will be available on the stand from 11am on Press Day, Monday 20 September for interviews along with Founder, Dr Olivia Chapple.
As ever, there will also be a full range of beautifully bespoke merchandise available, including a few new arrivals exclusively designed to celebrate the return of the illustrious occasion – see attached. Among them are a stylish wellington boot bag created by renowned leather craftsman, Bill Amberg; the charity’s striking new Christmas Card created by artist Claire Waltier MacGillivray; an eco-friendly tote bag created by artist Sarah Hough; a Honeysuckle & Tulip lap tray created by artist Katy McIntyre Brown; thoughtful notecards inspired by the charity’s volunteers created by artist Lucy Bentley; Orange & Clove Christmas candles and a pinafore apron destined to be the perfect gift for bakers and gardeners alike!
The charity’s fantastic volunteers will of course be there to warmly welcome you and share a little more about what they do and why they do it.
Horatio’s Garden is thrilled to be part of the triumphant return of the Show and are very much looking forward to seeing lots of you (along with a few of our favourite familiar faces)!
About Horatio’s Garden
Horatio’s Garden is a national charity which improves the lives of everyone affected by spinal injury through creating and nurturing beautiful gardens in NHS spinal injury centres. They grow thriving communities to support patients and their loved ones who are facing long stays in NHS hospitals. Leading garden designers develop these stunning sanctuaries, creating an environment that becomes an integral part of people’s lives over many months and complements the clinical care from the spinal centres’ teams.
Once the gardens have been built, the charity’s employs a Head Gardener and an administrative assistant and along with a volunteer team they care for the garden, and support the activities organised by the charity for patients, their families, and their friends. These include garden therapy, art therapy, artists in residence, book and poetry clubs, craft groups, tea and cakes, food events and music concerts. Everything is designed to improve the psychological outcomes of patients and their families as they adjust to life-changing injuries.
The charity is named after Horatio Chapple – a schoolboy who wanted to be a doctor and volunteered at the spinal centre in Salisbury. It was Horatio’s idea to create a garden and his research has shaped the garden designs and the charity’s aims. Horatio’s life was cut short ten years ago at 17 when his camp was attacked by a polar bear while on expedition in Svalbard in 2011. However, his legacy continues to help patients and their families, providing them with spaces which offer both tranquility and community.
The first Horatio’s Garden opened in 2012 at the Duke of Cornwall Spinal Treatment at Salisbury Hospital and was designed by award-winner, Cleve West.
The second Horatio’s Garden at the Queen Elizabeth National Spinal Injuries Unit, Glasgow was completed in August 2016. Designed by Chair of the RHS judges, James Alexander-Sinclair, it opened in summer 2016 and cares for patients from across the whole of Scotland.
The garden at the National Spinal Injuries Centre, Stoke Mandeville was opened in September 2018 and was designed by BBC Gardeners’ World presenter and RHS Gold Medal Winner, Joe Swift.
In September 2019, the charity’s fourth garden, Horatio’s Garden Midlands, opened at the Midland Centre for Spinal Injuries in Oswestry. It has been designed by well-known Gardeners’ Question Time panelist Bunny Guinness.
The fifth Horatio’s Garden has been designed by internationally renowned, Tom Stuart-Smith, who has a total of eight Chelsea Flower Show gold medals to his name and award-winning architect Stephen Marshall. Works began in January 2020 and were completed in September 2020. The garden is at The London Spinal Cord Injury Centre, located at the Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital, Stanmore.
On 1 May 2019 Her Royal Highness Princess Eugenie became the charity’s royal patron. In June 2019 the Salisbury volunteer group was awarded The Queen’s Award for Voluntary Service.
Work has commenced on the charity’s next project, Horatio’s Garden Wales, which will take the total number of gardens to six. The critically acclaimed and two-time Chelsea gold medal winner Sarah Price is the designer. The project is being built in partnership with Cardiff and Vale Health Board.
The seventh Horatio’s Garden will be in Northern Ireland. It is currently in the early phases of development and will be located at The Spinal Cord Injuries Unit in Musgrave Park Hospital in Belfast. Horatio’s Garden Northern Ireland will be designed by eight-time RHS Chelsea Gold Medal winner, Andy Sturgeon.