A special garden for palliative care patients was opened recently at St Peter’s Hospital.
The existing courtyard at the hospital has been transformed into a calming and private garden which provides a dedicat-ed space for loved ones to spend precious moments with their family or friends whilst receiving end-of-life care.
The Eternal Garden is the third garden of this kind in the country and has been de-signed by award-winning garden and landscape designer, Rae Wilkinson. The garden comprises a patioed area sur-rounded by pleached trees, an oak pergo-la, planted beds, wooden benches and three water bowls to fill the garden with the calming sound of trickling water. Also locat-ed in the courtyard is a garden room with bi-folding glass doors to allow the healing power of nature to flow throughout. To enable The Eternal Garden to be used both day and night, all year round, the room has heating installed and lights around the garden’s patio area.
This courtyard has been named The Eternal Garden, as the name signifies time without end and how things endure beyond life, including memories and the impact others have on our lives.
Rae Wilkinson, who designed the garden, said: “It’s been a real honour to help create such a special garden at St Peter’s Hospital. Gardens are truly valuable spaces which bring vital wellbeing input to all, especially within hospital and care giving environ-ments. The benefits of being in the sanctuary of nature within this garden will bring some much-needed space and peace during difficult times for patients, their carers and their loved ones”.
The transformation of this space has been funded by the Friends of St Peter’s Hospital as their final project, after several decades of ongoing support for the hospital. The Eternal Garden is part of Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust’s Healing Arts programme, which is introducing more visual art, music and performance into the hospitals and improving the architecture and green spaces across the Trust.
Dr David Fluck, Interim Chief Executive at Ashford and St Peter’s, said: “I’d like to thank The Friends of St Peter’s for their generous donation which has enabled us to create this very special area at our hospital for our patients, their families and friends, who I believe will value the time spent in this garden and the precious moments it can bring. I’d also like to thank the Healing Arts Committee for their hard work and dedica-tion in developing this valued and much-needed space for our community”.
The Eternal Garden opened on Sunday 1st May 2022 for patients, their families and friends to use. To book time in The Eternal Garden, please call the Trust’s visitor book-ing line on 01932 723318.