NHFT celebrates opening of new garden for staff and visitors
The new “Slow Down, Breathe Deep, garden” at St Marys Hospital in Kettering was originally designed by Alex Pettitt, the son of Tracey Dempster, Assistant Director of Ambulatory, Diabetes & Therapy Services at NHFT.
Alex wanted to design a garden around the theme of supporting community services in the NHS and won a coveted place in the Royal Horticultural Society’s Young Designers competition at their annual Flower Show at Tatton Park in Cheshire.
The show garden was constructed by Topoforma Landscapes and went on public display in July 2022, with sponsorship from the RHS, London Stone, Deepdale Trees, Ashwells and Chelmer Valley. The RHS encourages garden designers to have a re-location plan for their show gardens, and following discussions between Tracey and Jean Knight, Chief Operating Officer at NHFT, some space at St Marys was identified as an area that could be better utilised to support staff and visitors. Plans were then established to move the garden from Tatton Park to NHFT.
Knights of Old kindly offered to transport the garden materials to NHFT and the Northamptonshire Healthcare charity supported the build of the garden on site at NHFT to bring the dream to reality.
Jean Knight, Chief Operating Officer for NHFT said “The new Slow Down, Breathe Deep, garden is a fantastic addition to our site at St Marys Hospital. The last two years have been particularly challenging for our staff and the new garden offers a place of calm and peace where colleagues can take a break and have time for themselves, away from the fast-paced work routines.
“I would like to sincerely thank the RHS, Ashwells, London Stone, Deepdale Trees , Chelmer Valley and Knights of Old for their generosity and support in getting the materials to our site. I’d also like to extend my thanks to the charity for their support of the build.”
The garden, which was completed in August 2022, is primarily for staff and visitors to the site to enjoy. It is made from sustainable materials, and some recycled elements, aiming to have limited environmental impact.
Image supplied by Kat Weatherill photos