Horatio’s Garden Scotland is a trove of sensory delights in winter, and for the patients of the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital National Spinal Injuries Unit, its promise of a new season to come is imbued with a poignant symbolism
WORDS NICOLA TODD-MACNAUGHTON PHOTOGRAPHS RAY COX
Glasgow is a city fondly known as the ‘Dear Green Place’ – the literal translation of its name from Gaelic. Yet at first glance, Glasgow’s vast 1,677-bed Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, situated to the south of the city centre, seems a far cry from being dear or green. Modern concrete blocks, glass facades and dull car parks combine to create a utilitarian environment. Like many NHS grounds, this is a place that would certainly benefit from a good dose of green therapy.
For a small number of patients and visitors to this hospital, though, there is a very dear and nurturing green place, tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the main concourse, which is perfectly in line with Glasgow’s etymology. This is Horatio’s Garden, in the grounds of the hospital’s spinal injuries unit.
Horatio’s Garden was created in 2016 by the nationwide charity of the same name – an organisation that supports the wellbeing of people after spinal injury in beautiful, vibrant sanctuaries within the heart of NHS spinal injury units. The charity offers patients, as well as their families and friends, a vital place for reflection and rehabilitation following injury.
The 1,989 square metre garden is one of six Horatio’s Gardens in the UK, and the only one in Scotland. Patients will come from as far afield as Shetland in the north, and Dumfries in the south, with an average hospital rehabilitation period of five months, often extending to a year or more.
The charity partners work with renowned garden designers – in the case of this garden, the Royal Horticultural Society’s Ambassador for Garden Design, James Alexander-Sinclair – to create calm, inspiring spaces filled with year-round planting, that are tailored to the needs of the patients as they adjust to life-changing injuries. While Alexander-Sinclair, a designer of international acclaim, is based in London, he freely admits that Horatio’s Garden is the most meaningful garden he has ever created.
Each Horatio’s Garden has its own head gardener, supported by a team of volunteers who help with the upkeep. The head gardener here is Chelsea Lowe, a self-taught horticulturist from Vancouver Island, who first encountered the garden in 2019 while on a placement
