The Secret Garden at the Thrive Trunkwell Garden Project at Beech Hill near Reading is now open but £10,000 is still needed to complete this innovative and exciting project.
The Secret Garden will help people with dementia, children and young people with special educational needs and other clients at Thrive. The Garden contains unique features which have been planned and designed to help make gardening an enjoyable and rewarding experience for disabled people.
Special features in the garden include a ‘living’ wall, looped paths to make it easy to find your way and a cottage garden with varieties of plants to help stimulate the memory through sight and smell. A special ’twelve-month’ border has been planted to reflect the passing of the seasons. The Garden also has a number of seating areas overlooking water sculptures for reflection and relaxation.
For our clients with dementia, evidence shows that gardening can be a real help. Dementia is a progressive and often distressing condition for which there is no ‘cure’ and the Secret Garden will be used for a range of gardening programmes. It will also provide somewhere they can take exercise and socialise with others in a relaxed outdoor environment and offer their carers the opportunity to relax or to join in and share the activities.
Children and teenagers with special educational needs will access the Secret Garden through Thrive’s Growing Options project. Young people, who are having problems coping with school, will be able to use the garden to learn new skills, work towards a vocational qualification and build their self-confidence.
Nicola Carruthers, Chief Executive of Thrive, comments: “This garden will make a real difference to many local people. It will help those with dementia reconnect with family, friends and carers through a positive leisure interest and give special needs children and teenagers a unique place to learn about horticulture and develop important life skills.
“We are extremely grateful to the local businesses and other organisations who have given us their support so far.”