Community gardening

NHS wellbeing garden to be built in Essex

A hospital garden in Colchester has been designed to give NHS staff, patients and visitors somewhere to rest and relax

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

A vital hub for the community

The garden, which opens in summer 2024, will be a vital hub for the community, offering a number of activities for those working in or visiting the hospital to take part in.

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

“People need somewhere tucked away where they can pause before going through the hospital entrance; I want people to feel cloaked and comfortable. On a personal level, this is my way of saying thank you to everybody that works hard in the NHS.”

Adam Frost, garden designer

The garden will be built in Essex, the driest county in the UK, receiving 47.81 millimeters (1.88 inches) of rainfall per year, and will include drought-tolerant planting.

Key elements of the garden include:

  • Sociable seating areas and more private seating areas to connect or reflect
  • An all-weather shelter for nature-based activities and gardening club sessions
  • New paths weaving through trees, wildflowers and drought-tolerant planting

  • New plants alongside the car park to reduce noise and pollution
  • Access for all, inclusive and welcoming for whole community

Located at the hospital entrance near a dedicated Cancer Wellbeing Centre and the existing lake and close to the main carpark, sustainability has been at the heart of the build and the garden has been designed to be resilient to climate change.

Much more than a garden

To ensure the ongoing sustainability of the garden, the RHS Community Outreach team has begun to work with local volunteers to create a gardening club to help manage and maintain the garden once it is built. The gardening club has already begun to tidy up and plant existing spaces around the hospital.

The RHS Community Outreach team is running gardening for wellbeing activities onsite for NHS staff and patients for a three-year period.

The Outreach team has also built relationships with several local organisations to spread the joy of gardening to those living nearby; including Colchester 360, Abbeyfield Medical Centre, Together We Grow, Colchester Natural History Society and Colchester Men’s Shed.

Through this, the RHS has hosted gardening workshops for visitors to One Colchester Community Hub, which is run by Colchester 360. The Hub welcomes a range of local people as it manages a Dementia café, as well as hosting social groups and activities that support health and wellbeing.

The RHS Communities team has also delivered a variety of workshops to people living with cancer, including wreath making, grow your own herbal teas, and making macramé plant holders.

“We can’t thank you enough. The gardens are just invaluable in supporting patients and their families through difficult times”

Dr Hatte Roebuck, Consultant in Palliative Medicine

The garden build will start in spring 2024 and the garden is expected to be completed by summer 2024.

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.

Support NHS wellbeing gardens

Help us build and grow NHS wellbeing gardens around the country by donating today. Your gift will help us realise our vision to create safe and welcoming green spaces for hospitals and their local communities. From providing quiet respite areas to reflect, to active gardening groups bringing people together, the NHS wellbeing gardens will bring a vital boost to the wellbeing and environment at NHS hospitals.

You can donate online, or call 020 7821 3125.

Donate now

More from the RHS
RHS Communities newsletter

Stay connected to RHS Communities with our monthly email newsletter to keep up to date with the world of community gardening, including helpful tips, advice and stories.

Sign up

Get involved

The Royal Horticultural Society is the UK’s leading gardening charity. We aim to enrich everyone’s life through plants, and make the UK a greener and more beautiful place.