Muscular Dystrophy UK – Forest Bathing Garden

This garden will be displayed at the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, before being relocated to the public garden space at the new Institute of Developmental & Regenerative Medicine at the University of Oxford. There it will be a permanent place of refuge for Muscular Dystrophy patients during treatment and new trials, with access to the general public also being made available.

The design process evolved from the personal experiences and stories that people from the Muscular Dystrophy UK community shared with Ula during their initial conversations.

Ula envisioned an ethereal, therapeutic and accessible garden that would create a sense of being immersed in nature, thus providing a juxtaposition to a clinical environment. Having read many medical studies about the positive physical and mental health effects of forest bathing, Ula's vision is to create an experiential space, inspired by this ancient Japanese practice. The ‘Muscular Dystrophy UK Forest Bathing Garden’ will have more than 50 birch trees planted in the garden to achieve a birch grove atmosphere, providing dappled shade and thus enhancing the experience of forest bathing. The birch trees will be underplanted with woodland edge style plants, varying from deep shade corners to more open, sunnier woodland glades.

The experience will be enriched by 4,000 plants, the majority of which have been selected for their beautiful foliage, creating a green tapestry that is rich in texture, with an occasional burst of colour. Visitors will access the garden through an accessible path that follows a slow-moving naturalised water stream running through the central garden axis and welcoming not only people but wildlife into the garden too. At the heart of the garden is a central meeting hub with informal seating and sculptural knapped flint walls that will provide a sheltered space for people to meet.

The random knapped flint pattern was chosen by Ula for the construction of the feature wall due to its beautiful texture and form that is reminiscent of muscle cells. It will become a vital visual aid to illustrate what Muscular Dystrophy is and the effect it has on one's muscles to garden visitors. A key feature of the garden is a large bungaroosh-style wall, which will be made using modular steelwork sections filled with a mix of reclaimed and recycled materials such as large stone blocks, slate tiles, and bricks. This building technique was chosen to showcase how a beautiful and contemporary-looking garden structure can be created using a variety of reclaimed materials. The hard material palette mostly consists of naturally occurring materials: stone, timber and clay, enhancing the experience of forest bathing.

Plant Lists

Hedges and Trees