Patients at Hospice in the Weald will soon be able to enjoy the delights of a Lion-King-inspired RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival show garden thanks to the generosity of designer Juliet Sargeant.
East Sussex-based Juliet’s Lion King-inspired drought-tolerant design at the Festival has won Best Show Garden, a Silver Gilt Medal and the show’s first Environmental Innovation Award.
Juliet is now ensuring that the vibrant and aromatic trees, fruit-bearing shrubs and perennial plants used in the design will continue to turn heads long after the Festival has ended, by generously donating them to Hospice in the Weald in Pembury.
A regular on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time and a familiar presence on TV garden shows, including Gardeners’ World, Juliet said: “It is a privilege to design a garden for the Festival. But to have been awarded Best Show Garden is amazing, especially given the calibre of gardens this year.”
“It’s a community garden inspired by the vibrant colours of the theatre show and a traditional Boma (protected meeting place) of the African savannah.
This garden is rooted in sustainability and my designs are all about improving the way people feel. So, it seems particularly fitting that these plants will soon have a new home and take pride of place at the entrance of Hospice in the Weald to welcome patients and visitors.”
Juliet visited the Hospice in May to meet staff and volunteers to discuss plans for the plants, supplied by How Green Nursery in Hever, Kent. How Green’s team was on hand to collect them after the Festival and deliver them to the Hospice where the dedicated team of garden volunteers expertly replanted them.
Carole Marks, who leads the Hospice’s team of garden volunteers, said:
“It’s a privilege to have a well-known garden designer like Juliet collaborate with us to plan a whole new bed for the donated plants. We’d like to thank Juliet and also Simon Sutcliffe from How Green Nursery for helping to make this happen. We hope the vibrant colours will give a warm and uplifting welcome to patients and visitors for many years to come.”
Andrew Stott, the Hospice’s Operations Director, said:
“We are so grateful for this generous donation and to our wonderful garden volunteers for all their help.
The Hospice’s gardens are an important part of our holistic approach to care and offer many therapeutic benefits to people facing terminal illness and their loved ones.
These new ‘show’ additions will undoubtedly bring extra magic and joy to all who visit the Hospice.”
—————–
Notes to editors:
Photos:
- Juliet in her Lion King-inspired garden at the RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival
- Carole and garden volunteers
- The plants bring colour and interest to the entrance at Hospice in the Weald
Hospice in the Weald provides care for adults and children living with a terminal or life-limiting illness, as well as their loved ones, in Kent and East Sussex. Independent of the NHS, the Hospice needs to raise £8 million each year to fund its care and support. hospiceintheweald.org.uk
Juliet Sargeant is a Sussex-based designer with previous awards from The Society of Garden Designers and RHS Hampton Court Flower Show. In 2017, she was commissioned to design an innovative kitchen garden for the RHS partnership with the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen Live. Juliet is a regular on Radio 4’s Gardeners’ Question Time, and radio and TV shows, including Gardeners’ World. Juliet is a fellow of The Society of Garden Designers and The Landscape Institute, and she also runs the Sussex Garden School. julietsargeant.com
Leave a Reply