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People with learning disabilities celebrate triumph at world’s largest garden festival
A group of gardeners with learning disabilities are celebrating after showing off their pioneering garden to tens of thousands of people at the world’s largest flower show.
The gardeners from Furzey Gardens in Minstead brought their garden ‘Reflective waters of inclusivity’ to RHS Hampton Court Flower show last week after receiving huge support from the public.
After issuing a call for support in March, the gardening team received over £10,000 through donations and a raffle, with the Royal Horticultural Society contributing £1,000.
The funds allowed the team to construct their garden and travel from Hampshire to RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival each day in the week before the show to build the garden.
Many of the gardeners have spent a lifetime struggling against discrimination and lacking in the opportunities that many other people enjoy.
The garden allowed them to demonstrate the horticultural skills they have built over many years working at Furzey Gardens, a social enterprise run by local charity Minstead Trust. The gardens have been supporting people with learning disabilities for nearly 40 years, where they maintain the gardens and raise plants for sale in the nursery.
The funds raised have assisted with significant materials, transport and support staff costs required to undertake this ambitious garden build. Plant growing and buying costs was also supported by these donations.
The show garden aimed to help change perceptions in society towards people with learning disabilities. Many still feel socially left out and face stigma and discrimination in their everyday lives (Scior & Werner, 2015). Gardening can play a role in giving people purpose in their life and a chance to show what they can achieve.
The garden was inspired by a small waterfall area next to Furzey’s popular lake area and features plants for which the woodland garden is renowned for such as an acer Palmatum hosta’s and salvia’s. Local artist Shaun Stevens created an artist’s impression of the garden, which is named ‘Reflective waters of inclusivity’. Special personal touches from the Minstead Trust community were added, including pebbles made from reclaimed clay dug out from beneath a fallen oak tree on Minstead Trusts’ grounds. These pebbles were not just decorative; they carried the initials of the people supported by Minstead Trust, as well as staff and volunteers. Additionally, bringing character to the garden were two fairy doors, some felt butterflies and frogs made by people with learning disabilities.
Supported gardener Simon said ‘I told people about the plants. I love a garden, I think the garden is pretty.’
Supported gardener Rhianne said ‘I enjoyed telling everyone about the garden and the plants from Furzey. Seeing what people think of it and telling people what we do and what we like doing. I think that the garden is beautiful.’
John Davies, Minstead Trust senior instructor, said: ‘This was a really exciting challenge the guys took on, a chance for them to show what they can do if given opportunities that are usually not available to them.
‘Many of them have been through really hard times in their lives and they have loved standing at the show and feeling really proud of what they have achieved. I hope people will continue to support us so that we can change some minds around what people with learning disabilities can do if given a chance.’
Find out more about the garden at minsteadtrust.org.uk/hampton
About Furzey Gardens
Furzey Gardens is an informal woodland garden near Lyndhurst, which is open to the public. It is a social enterprise of Minstead Trust, providing training and work experience in an
inspirational setting where people with learning disabilities can learn new skills in horticulture and hospitality.
About Minstead Trust
Minstead Trust, established in 1986, is a charitable organisation whose aims are to support people with learning disabilities to achieve greater independence, lead fulfilled lives and live as full citizens in society.
Minstead Trust currently supports over 320 people in in Hampshire , Portsmouth and Dorset. We offer people the opportunity to develop skills for work, skills for life and improve their health and wellbeing.
- Work-based skills: training in practical skills in a range of work settings, including the expectations of a workplace such as time management, health and safety and customer service.
- Health and well-being: physical and creative activities to promote health and leisure skills.
- Life skills: practical training in the skills of everyday living, both in the home and out in the community.
Training and support is provided through day opportunities, support for people living in their own tenancies or our residential care home, respite short breaks and community pay-as-you-go groups.
