Designed by award-winning garden designer Adam Frost, the wellbeing garden at Colchester Hospital in Essex is a relaxing and restorative space for NHS staff, patients and visitors.

A vital hub for the community

The garden is a vital hub for the community, offering activities for those working in or visiting the hospital.

NHS staff were involved with the design through a consultation process to ensure the garden addresses the needs of staff and patients. Leading garden designer, Adam Frost, has won seven gold medals at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show and is an RHS Ambassador.

Located at the hospital entrance near a dedicated Cancer Wellbeing Centre and the existing lake, sustainability has been at the heart of the build and the garden has been designed to be resilient to climate change. The garden is in Essex, the driest county in the UK and includes drought-tolerant planting, reducing the need for watering. In autumn 2024, new hedges will be planted to screen the car park and reduce pollution. The gardening club volunteers will also plant bulbs, ready to flower in spring 2025.

To ensure the ongoing sustainability of the garden, the RHS Community Outreach team works with local volunteers to help manage and maintain the garden, alongside the hospital estates team. The gardening club is also involved in looking after other gardening spaces around the hospital.

The RHS Community Outreach team is also running Gardening For Wellbeing activities onsite for NHS staff and patients for a three-year period. They are delivering a variety of workshops to people living with cancer via the Cancer Wellbeing Centre, including wreath making, grow your own herbal teas, and making macramé plant holders.

RHS volunteer, Jon, who has struggled with his mental health in the past year, believes volunteering outdoors has been fundamental in his road to recovery. He says:

What is a wellbeing garden?

Our scientific evidence underscores the vital role of gardens in health promotion. Gardens in healthcare settings play a crucial role in promoting good health outcomes, preventing poor health and supporting increased recovery time.

The RHS is committed to delivering a Blueprint for Wellbeing Gardens in 2025, a set of evidence-based principles to develop spaces that can be used to support human wellbeing in a universal garden context. We hope to continue to work with the NHS and healthcare providers to ensure that the blueprint is stronger and widely applicable to the needs and range of NHS and community healthcare organisations across the UK.

Funding behind the project

The Colchester Wellbeing Garden is funded separately from funding used for frontline care. Thanks go to the funders: Colchester and Ipswich Hospitals Charity; the Greener Communities Grant from NHS Charities Together, in partnership with Starbucks and Hubbub; and The Oak Foundation. The RHS has also made a contribution.

Visit our funding pages to find out how you can contribute to future NHS wellbeing gardens.