A new state of the art sensory garden has been unveiled at Tŷ Hafan children’s hospice – one of the UK’s leading paediatric palliative care charities. The 62nd Greenfingers Charity garden was unveiled by BBC Radio 2's resident gardener, Terry Walton at Tŷ Hafan children’s hospice which cares for children with life-limiting conditions and their families throughout Wales.
The new interactive sensory garden was funded by The National Heritage Lottery, The Postcode Lottery and volunteers of Greenfingers. It hopes to provide year-round accessibility for children with life-limiting conditions and their families while they are patients at or visiting Tŷ Hafan’s hospice at Sully, near Cardiff, as well as for staff and volunteers.
The sensory garden has been designed to encourage biodiversity, sustainability and wildlife, helping children to be able to connect easily with nature. The garden also benefits from willow arches, a woodland den, covered seating area with access to electricity and hand-washing facilities.
The design team added all sensory friendly plants so that the children could touch and would not harm them, an accessible den so that children who are wheelchair or bed bound could also access them, and a sheltered woodland hut so that families can have a moment together in private to take a breath of fresh air away from the hospice.
The garden was designed by multi-RHS gold medal-winning garden designers, Victoria Wade Landscapes and brought to life by NP Landscapes; and project managed by Joe Wade.
Talking about the design, Victoria Wade said: “This is definitely my favourite garden we have ever created. I am really proud of what we have all achieved. It's been such an amazing team effort and I have been blown away by the generosity of everyone who has been involved - everyone has gone above and beyond.
"It’s been so exciting to see the garden come into bloom this spring and seeing the thousands of bulbs that the volunteers have planted flowering for the first time has been really special.”
Project manager Joe Wade said: “It’s been such a great project to be involved with. I know the garden will benefit so many people - we have been overwhelmed by how many lovely comments we have had during the build from the hospice staff, volunteers and families who are so excited to spend time in the new garden. It’s been such a great team effort from everyone involved.”
Tracy Jones, head of community service and partnerships for Tŷ Hafan said: "We have got the most amazing facilities within the hospice including a hydrotherapy pool, sensory rooms and the most amazing staff that engage with the children but we know how important outdoor space is to people going through difficult times, just to be able to get fresh air outside and take a minute.
"We have the most amazing setting here close to the sea so you can hear the waves crashing against the shoreline and the birds in the trees, these things are really powerful for children and their families. Particularly to children who have very limited access to outdoor space because not everywhere is accessible to them. This space now ticks all the boxes with accessible dens an a hideaway for families to be able to have a moment away from it all in private."
Terry Walton, BBC Radio 2’s resident gardener and guest of honour at the event, said: “This new sensory garden is a gorgeous new addition to Tŷ Hafan beautiful hospice grounds, which I know are cared for by a team of dedicated and talented volunteer gardeners.
"It therefore gives me great pleasure to officially open this wonderful sensory garden today and I am sure that it will give everyone who visits, stays at or works at Tŷ Hafan in the coming months and years, both enormous pleasure as well as peace and great solace during some of the most difficult times imaginable.”
The completion of the garden was thanks to the team of Greenfingers supporters who helped to plant thousands of bulbs and plants, including Woodlodge – led by Ian Flounders; Pugh’s Garden Centre team; Giant Veg Grower, Kevin Fortey; Greenfingers Trustee, Neil Sewell, and the incredible hospice garden volunteers – who worked hard to finalise the planting, ahead of today’s opening event.
Donations included Evergreen Garden Care, Taylors Bulbs, Jubb Bulbs, Smart Garden and Pugh's garden village.
Greenfingers Chairman, Sue Allen said about today’s event: “It is our great pleasure to officially hand over the garden to all those at Tŷ Hafan children’s hospice. The teams at Victoria Wade and NP Landscapes have, not only produced an incredible vision, but have brought it to life in such an awe-inspiring way, creating a truly stunning space that is focused on bringing nature to its very heart. On behalf of all of us at Greenfingers and Tŷ Hafan, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
We are now more aware then ever the impact outdoor space has on us and through the creation of this space we have created a sensory seeking space which is wheelchair and bed accessible for the children and their families.”
