Royal Hospital for Children strikes gold with Chelsea Flower Show award-winning garden

The Teapot Trust’s Elsewhere Garden, designed by the award-winning garden design studio Semple Begg, won Gold at the RHS Chelsea Garden Show in 2023. It has been relocated and adapted by Semple Begg for the hospital to deliver a place of calm to set the minds of children and their families free from their health challenges.

In line with the hospital’s person-centred care, the garden will also be a home for outdoor art therapy provided by Teapot Trust – a children’s health charity that has partnered with RHC long-term. An RHC patient since birth due to his congenital heart defect (CHD), David is a lover of the art therapy classes provided by the charity and attends every Friday. He is excited about what this will mean for the classes.

David was diagnosed with a CHD when he was in the womb. He had his first surgery when he was 11 days old followed by another surgery at 16 days old. Surgery number three took place when he was approaching the age of two and, frighteningly, David required another two unexpected surgeries during the same hospital stay.

He celebrated his second birthday in the RHC Paediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) with five major heart surgeries under his belt. He had his sixth surgery just before his fifth birthday and all was going well for two years when, in 2019, he had a brain haemorrhage and required neurological and several weeks of inpatient treatment for endocarditis.

David will continue to require surgery as his heart grows and is set for another operation in the future. His art therapy with the Teapot Trust is an invaluable service for him to take his mind off his condition and to focus on what he enjoys. David’s mum, Anna Wilson, explained:

“Every Friday, David goes to meet Holly and the Teapot Trust team. It is the highlight of his week. He gets the opportunity to spend time with kids who have had similar experiences to him. He doesn’t feel different to the other kids, and he can relax and be creative.

“His most recent projects have been creating wonderful board games with characters that each have different abilities and superpowers. We were excited to see the new garden and looking forward to meeting Holly for an outdoor art therapy session in the near future,” she said.

David will continue to require surgery as his heart grows and is set for another operation in the future. His art therapy with the Teapot Trust is an invaluable service for him to take his mind off his condition an

David’s mum, Anna Wilson, explained:  “Every Friday, David goes to meet Holly and the Teapot Trust team. It is the highlight of his week. He gets the opportunity to spend time with kids who have had similar experiences to him. He doesn’t feel different to the other kids, and he can relax and be creative.

“His most recent projects have been creating wonderful board games with characters that each have different abilities and superpowers. We were excited to see the new garden and looking forward to meeting Holly for an outdoor art therapy session in the near future,” she said.

The garden mirrors the freedom and escape that art therapy gifts young patients. Plant choices were inspired by children’s books and films – Wonka, Oz and Wonderland – where colour is vivid and shape and form are exaggerated, creating a fantasy theme.

Nicola Semple from Semple Begg said “To bring the garden back to Glasgow is something we are immensely proud of. It’s a huge privilege for us as designers to lead a public project that is going to have a long-lasting impact and a powerful legacy.”

Susan Begg added:  “Following focus groups with children and families, patient groups and medical staff, the garden was redesigned for a larger plot at the hospital. It includes year-round colour, wide wheelchair-friendly pathways, and peaceful seating offering respite from the clinical environment.”

Retaining the spirit of the original garden, Snorky and Grizzly – two trees with an unusual form that make them look like friendly monsters – stand as the guardians to this inclusive space.

Consultant Rheumatologist Dr Jo Walsh, whose young patients benefit from art therapy, explains the impact the garden is already having.

“The Elsewhere Garden is a tranquil haven close to the ever-busy children’s hospital. The space invites children, young people, parents, and staff to explore the vibrant colours, contrasting shapes, movement, and scent of the planting layers. It is a special place.

“Thanks to The Teapot Trust and Project Giving Back, the Elsewhere Garden will benefit so many.  I watched children racing round the paths and look up at the Pine trees, two staff were having a quiet break and a mum to be sitting in the shade by the Astrantia. I always glance out of the window from the stairs to see if anything new has grown… The Elsewhere Garden is a place for all.”

As a next stage development, a weather-proof art studio will be added to the garden as a permanent home for art therapy. Teapot Trust’s CEO, Sarah Randell, said:

“We’re delighted that the garden is such a beautiful resource for young patients and their families, and that art therapy will happen in it – away from the clinical environment. We’re so grateful to all our collaborators who contributed their best to make this a reality for children and young people.”

Teapot Trust Art Therapist Dr Patricia Watts, who supports children in the hospital, said: “The Elsewhere Garden is a tranquil and relaxing space where families can have some quiet time together after the hustle and bustle of hospital appointments. It is lovely to see the children exploring the garden, noticing the colours, and finding out the story behind the garden.

“It is lovely to include the garden as part of the introduction to art therapy and to show children and families this is a space they can use. This can put them at ease, particularly as hospital visits can be stressful for some children and families. It also provides a lovely reflective space for staff too!”

To help create an immersive experience, visitors will be able to hear soundscapes of the garden by scanning a QR code on their mobile phones. Inpatients unable to leave their beds, and outpatients who spend long period in clinics, will have access to a Virtual Reality version of the garden in which they can enjoy art therapy remotely. Alan Grant of Edify said:

“We are delighted to support Teapot Trust and the vital work they do by using the power of VR to ensure that the ‘Elsewhere Garden’ can be experienced by children and young people. Our team has created a virtual experience which means the garden’s magic will be accessible far beyond its physical home in Glasgow.”

Hattie Ghaui, CEO of Project Giving Back, the grant-making charity that funded the Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden and partly funded its relocation to Glasgow, said:  “We know the Teapot Trust Elsewhere Garden at the Royal Hospital for Children Glasgow will provide a colourful and joyful space for children, their families and the incredible staff who care for them, to enjoy for many years to come. This garden is a brilliant example and will no doubt offer children much needed respite, as well as Teapot Trust outdoor art therapy, while undergoing their treatment and recovery.

“Huge credit must go to the Teapot Trust team, the garden designers, collaborators, and additional supporters for making this relocation what it is today and will be long into the future.”