Stepping into the new garden at Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services Harold’s Cross in Dublin is like being transported to a healing oasis on a Tuscan hillside.
"I have never seen anything like it. It is beautiful, a great credit to the girl who did it. It is lovely to come and sit here," says hospice resident Etta Kearney (82).
From the calming colours, sensuous scents and stunning floral displays it is clear why the garden was a multi-award winner at Bloom 2013. Coupled with a silver gilt medal, “Journey on Earth” – the hospice garden, was also awarded the much coveted People’s Choice Award and it has just opened to the public.
The "girl who did it" in company with Dr Mary Toomey and Adrian Eggers, is head gardener Eileen Nolan, who has worked with the hospice for more than 20 years and is a specialist in palliative care gardening.
Every aspect of the new garden, which after Bloom was transplanted to its permanent home on the grounds of the Harold’s Cross hospice, has been thought about from the perspective of the patients that use and enjoy the space.
Hospice's gardening club
The blue limestone paving was chosen specifically so it doesn't reflect glare from the sun. The simple but beautiful urn-shaped granite water feature has a gentle flow so it can be enjoyed by patients who may be oversensitive to noise.
The wheelchair accessible potting bench was designed by Nolan to accommodate members of the hospice’s gardening club, while the use of scented plants, flowers and herbs all add to the sensory experience of the garden.
“The reason we brought the garden to Bloom for the hospice was to raise awareness about how important and what a difference the garden makes to palliative care patients,” says Nolan.
Hospice resident Kathleen Owens (91) from Dublin says the garden is "a work of art." Located in a quiet courtyard and measuring 10ft x 20ft feet, the garden is "a room outside" intended to improve patients' wellbeing.
Those who are bedridden can enjoy the view from their window, while the garden also encourages patients to go outside, take the fresh air and scents, see the colours and have some privacy and space.
"Out of this world" is how resident Sarah Doherty describes it.
The garden contains different sections, each designed with the needs of patients in mind. For example, a pretty seating area encourages social interaction, while a small shaded pavilion, painted a beautiful, calming sage green, is designed for quiet reflection or a space for patients to spend time with family and friends.
Another feature of the garden is "a living sculpture" of a grey heron feeding its young. Designed by artist and sculptor Ciara Foster it was made to honour all those who generously donate to the hospice.
Nolan’s passion for palliative care gardening and attention to detail is evident throughout. The bottom of the water feature is planted with calamine so as the water gently cascades it emits the soothing scent of the plant.
The leaves of a tall umbrella tree imported from Italy provide a shaded canopy for the seating area, its bark is slightly scented and peels as it gets older. The area is surrounded by bay laurel, which also emits a beautiful scent.
Calm environment
"I was trying to create a cool, calm environment so the patients could automatically come out and forget about what is going on inside their rooms," says Nolan.
She adds that the patients like to chat about the various plants and flowers, exchange gardening tips and reminisce about what they planted in their own gardens. For some the garden can also be a comforting reminder of home.
The garden also encourages patients to engage with different aspects of nature and for some, it is a welcome distraction from sickness and a shortening life. “It takes their mind off things . . . a garden is about living rather than dying,” says Nolan.
The hospice garden reflects the belief of Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services that palliative care is an opportunity to celebrate one’s life and time on earth.
According to Mo Flynn chief executive of Our Lady’s Hospice & Care Services the new garden is an expression of what the hospice has been striving to do for some time, which is to build a place of restfulness for patients and longer-term residents.
For those seeking an oasis of calm in our hectic lives it is well worth a visit.
