Stroke Association’s Garden for Recovery

Miria’s carefully considered design has been intended to reflect all aspects of the recovery journey from stroke, both physical and emotional. Sculptural pine trees frame views and symbolise resilience in the face of stroke trauma, while winding, interconnected pathways through a contoured landscape acknowledge the difficult road to recovery, one that is not always straightforward or linear.

A carefully placed bridge over a stream represents the connections that have to be rebuilt after the disconnecting experience of stroke. The garden supports  recuperation in the natural world. A wildlife pond and stream provide an auditory dimension, inviting gentle escapism from the more clinical aspects of stroke recovery and along with colour and scent, support wayfinding for those with visual or mobility impairments. Pine trees have been chosen not only for their visual impact, but for the transportative nature of their scent.

Miria has also incorporated natural-built walls and a sweeping hedge with the intention to provide moments of privacy and spaces to rest and be with loved ones with seating designed by Olivia Gonsalves. Careful planting decisions have been made, with Miria choosing loose, muted, rainbow colour blocked zones; a planting scheme of pink, orange, yellow, purple and green throughout the garden.

Native to Europe, the beautiful blue flowers of Linum perenne (Perennial Flax or Linseed) can be seen alongside Lunaria annua (Honesty), chosen for the joyful pop of colour delivered by its bright purple magenta flowers and the beauty of its silvery seed heads that catch the light and act like tiny mirrors to the nature that surrounds them.

Ranunculus flammula (Lesser Spearwort) brings yellow buttercup like flowers to the garden. Native to the UK and known for attracting bees, butterflies and hoverflies, Miria chose this marginal aquatic plant not only for its colour, but for its wildlife friendly properties. Foeniculum vulgare (Bronze Fennel) was chosen for its scent and sweet flavour of its pollen and seeds which can be eaten or made into tea. A key plant for pollinators, it also acts as a supporting habitat for beneficial insects. Chasmanthium latifolium can also be found in the garden, incorporated because of its tactile, calming quality when it rustles in the breeze and for its edible decorative seeds loved by birds.

Sustainability was a key consideration in Miria’s design, ensuring a ‘cradle to grave’ sustainable and low environmental impact design approach. Pine trees which act as a focal point for the garden were rescued from a forgotten nursery field and brought back to life. Careful consideration was given to material choices, with sustainable, innovative materials such as hemp fibre corrugated panels used as cladding for the boundaries of the garden and a prototype hemp composite paving incorporated into the design.

Environmentally friendly traditional crafts such as lime rendering was used as a finish on the hempcrete blocks, while the pond and stream were formed entirely from puddling clay. These choices not only support craftsmanship but ensure that the garden is single use plastic, rubber and concrete free. Miria made bio-diverse, resilient planting choices, combining native and non-native plants that feature plants for pollinators along with rocks, dead wood and plants that provide wildlife habitat along with seeds and fruit as valuable food sources.

Continuing this promotion of a circular design ethos, following RHS Chelsea Flower Show, the garden will be reconfigured as a permanent garden for the Stroke Unit at Chapel Allerton Hospital in Leeds. Here it will provide a vital space for stroke survivors, their families, friends and carers.

Plant Lists

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