Care Home Garden
BRIEF
Our client asked us to redesign a care home garden to encourage residents to spend more time outdoors and to provide a richer sensory experience for people living with dementia and other age-related conditions.
The garden needed to feel inviting and accessible while offering a variety of opportunities for activity, horticulture, social interaction and quieter engagement with nature.
DESIGN SOLUTION
We drew on our experience of social and therapeutic horticulture through our involvement with Thrive when developing the design.
Inviting views from communal areas were used to attract attention towards the garden and encourage residents to move outside.
A circular dementia-friendly walking route provides a clear journey through the garden without confusing dead ends.
Greenhouses, including a hydroponics unit, allow horticultural activity and growing to continue throughout more of the year.
Accessible raised beds give residents opportunities to take part in gardening at a comfortable height.
A lawn and covered pergola create flexible spaces for outdoor activities and social gatherings.
Sensory planting brings colour, texture, scent and seasonal change into the landscape.
Additional seating and regular stopping places allow residents to move through the garden at their own pace and pause where they feel comfortable.
A carefully designed safe water feature introduces both sound and tactile interest, providing another sensory dimension.
Together, these elements create a landscape intended to encourage meaningful use rather than simply provide an attractive view: supporting gentle activity, sensory stimulation, horticulture, social interaction and time spent in nature.
There is accumulating evidence that gardens can have a beneficial effect on a range of mental and physical health outcomes. See our blog on why gardens influence our health and wellbeing
