Chelsea Flower Show's first-ever garden designed for those with spinal injuries has won Best In Show at the prestigious British horticultural event. Every element of Horatio's Garden Chelsea has been informed by the experiences of patients with these injuries.
Designed by Charlotte Harris and Hugo Bugg, it is billed as “an adaptive garden that puts the priorities of all those with different mobility needs at its heart”. Olivia Chapple, the founder of the Horatio's Garden charity - which helps creates gardens for those with spinal injuries at specialist NHS centres - was “thrilled” with the garden's win, while designers Charlotte and Hugo also expressed their delight at their triumph.
Horatio's Garden is named after Olivia's son Horatio, a schoolboy who came up with the initial idea of gardens for those with spinal injuries, but tragically died aged 17 after a polar bear attack during a trip to Svalbard.
During the Flower Show the garden also attracted a host of star names, including Joanna Lumley, Alan Titchmarsh, Dominic West and Fiona Bruce. In the garden, smooth paths are patient friendly, while its trees and plants have been specifically chosen to shade from UV Rays and provide a tactile, soothing environment.
It also pays homage to the flora and craftsmanship of Sheffield, and will be relocated to the Princess Royal Spinal Cord Injuries Centre in Sheffield and expanded in 2024.