Janine GriffithsA wellbeing garden at St James’s University Hospital has marked its first anniversary with a colourful mosaic-making session.
The White Rose Wellbeing Garden was created to provide a peaceful outdoor space for hospital colleagues to relax during busy working days.
The garden is located behind Gledhow Wing at the hospital and is also open to patients and their families.
It includes a sheltered seating area, along with numerous other places to sit and spend time outdoors.
Over the past year, the garden has hosted regular wellbeing workshops and two Gardening Club sessions each month.
It has also been used for events including a Covid memorial and a visit from the citywide Baton of Hope walk for Suicide Prevention Day.
Antony Kildare, Chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, said the garden had made a positive difference to the hospital site.
He said: “It has been wonderful to see so many people making use of the garden, whether that’s taking time out to share a break with colleagues, holding meetings outdoors, or just enjoying the bright space during what has been an exceptionally good summer.”
Celebrations on Thursday 17 September included the creation of a permanent mosaic for the garden’s sheltered seating area.
Visitors also took part in posy making at a flower bar provided by Bloom Sheffield.
Local restaurant Dishoom ran a chai pop-up stall and competition during the anniversary event.
A vegan anniversary cake was also provided by wedding cake designer Sarah & Cake.
The garden has been supported by a partnership between the Royal Horticultural Society and several organisations.
These include Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, Butterfly Conservation, Bloom Sheffield and Hepworth Wakefield.
Hospital colleagues have learned about horticulture, biodiversity and planet-friendly gardening through the partnership.
They have also received more than 1,000 plants and packets of seeds during the past year.
Helena Russon, who works at Leeds Teaching Hospitals, said the garden had helped her manage stress during busy days.
She said: “The wellbeing garden and workshops have helped with my day-to-day health and mental wellbeing at work by enabling me to have a space to go to, very close to work, when I am feeling stressed during a busy day. I can be with nature in a calm quiet place and then return to work feeling refreshed.”
The garden contains dozens of flowerbeds and planters, with thousands of plants and trees.
Some of the plants have medicinal properties, reflecting the garden’s location within the hospital.
It has also been designed to support pollinators, with bees and butterflies already regularly visiting the garden.
A patient in Bexley Wing said: “It’s lovely to visit the garden and feel the fresh air after being on the ward all week. So good to be somewhere that doesn’t feel like a hospital. Wonderful to watch the bees and hoverflies on the herbs too!”
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