Primrose Hospice is delighted to announce that it will be entering a show garden into the RHS Malvern Spring Festival in May 2016.
Designed by award winning designer Martyn Wilson the garden called ‘Time is a Healer’ represents the bereavement journey that many children find themselves on when losing a parent or other family member.
The bereavement journey can be a confusing and challenging time and areas in the garden represent the various feelings and moods commonly experienced.
The garden has been made possible by the generous support of a number of sponsors. Kendrick Homes kindly agreed to sponsor most of the build costs for the garden thanks to the support of their Managing Director James Rennison. Other sponsors include Hillview Garden Centres, represented by their CEO Boyd Douglas-Davies and The Bransford Webbs Plant Company, represented by Director Geoff Caesar. The landscaping will be undertaken by award winning Shaun Bennett Gardening & Landscaping and the benches in the garden have been designed by Nik Burns, a local Shropshire sculptor. The main central ‘clock face’ has been generously loaned by Ella Mae Sibley Sparling, a graduate of Hereford College of Arts . Hedging and topiary will be generously provided by ReadyHedge a specialist grower from near Pershore.
The garden designer Martyn Wilson is a graduate in Spatial Planning and Environmental Management who studied Professional Garden Design at the Cotswold Gardening School. He developed his passion and knowledge of garden design working in the Cotswolds, Vale of Evesham and working in the beautiful grounds of Sudeley Castle in Gloucestershire. Martyn has previously designed two RHS award winning show gardens one of which was featured on Gardeners World last year by Monty Don.
Martyn says: “I am really excited to have been invited by Primrose Hospice to design a show garden for the RHS Malvern Spring Festival 2016. The Hospice offers so much wonderful care and support for those at the end of their life and those who remain.
The space explores the journey that the bereaved travel and the mixture of emotions experienced in this traumatic period and is designed to help counsellors explore this with children. The emotions experienced at times of bereavement are not the same for everyone or the time taken to heal. In ‘Time is a Healer’ this is symbolised by the central sculpture akin to a clock face and by the four exits which enable the bereaved to enter and exit the garden at the ‘time’ that is right for them.
As you move around the garden the planting explores the emotions of bereavement from periods of depression, shock and anger hopefully to one of calm and acceptance. The bespoke central sculpture and benches crafted by local artists offer opportunities for quiet thought or contemplation.
We look forward to start building the garden in April and to supporting Primrose Hospice in raising awareness of the great work it does in the community – see you there!”
Helen Briscoe Chief Executive of Primrose Hospice says:
“We are delighted to be working with so many talented and generous people and look forward to taking part in the Malvern Festival in May. The garden gives us a perfect opportunity to promote the services we offer. Many people do not realise that a Hospice does much more than care for people at the end of their life. Last year we supported over 900 people through our services many of whom were children losing a parent or close relative. Children are not always able to understand or express their emotions and working with a specialist children’s worker helps them to communicate their feelings through specific activities and play. Our children’s worker has been funded for the last three years by Macmillan as we do not receive NHS funding for this necessary work but this money runs out in 2016 so we are keen to gain financial support for this crucial role. By showcasing the bereavement pathway through a visual interpretation in a garden we hope to raise both awareness and funds”
The RHS Malvern Spring Festival is on from 5th – 8th May 2016 at the Three Counties Showground near Malvern. There will be hundreds of exhibitors selling everything from plants to food as well as a giant floral marquee. Celebrities who will be taking part include Alan Titchmarsh, Carol Klein, Valentine Warner and Mary Berry. More information can be found at http://www.threecounties.co.uk/rhsmalvern/
For more information about Primrose Hospice or to make a donation go to www.primrosehospice.org or telephone 01527 871051
