The Florence Nightingale Garden: A Celebration of Modern-Day Nursing

In more detail

• Swaying in the autumn breeze, different selections of Miscanthus grass give height to the mixed perennial planting of asters, echinacea and Verbena bonariensis, while yew domes hunker down and give an evergreen continuity
• Words, sentences and thoughts adorn the timber clad wall, bringing the power of healing and the power of nursing firmly to the visitor's mind

About the garden

An imagined courtyard garden for a new hospital. Marking 200 years since Florence Nightingale’s birth, the garden is designed to shine a spotlight on the critical role nurses play in modern-day healthcare. Many of Nightingale’s principles underpin nursing today, and the garden is an opportunity to celebrate both her legacy and today’s inspirational nurses.

The theme is ‘nurture through nature’, inspired by the idea that the shortest path to recovery leads through a garden. This restorative garden, surrounded by a sculptural timber pergola on three sides, is for viewing from inside the building, as well as for sitting in and strolling through, with shaded places to sit, naturalistic planting and water to engage the senses. Drifts of late-flowering perennials, grasses and bulbs create a calm, lush atmosphere, in which texture and foliage are equally as important as colour and flowers.