The Greenfingers Anniversary Garden
“A Feast for the Senses”
This garden is fun and young. The colours will entice both children and adults into the garden, and once they are inside, there is plenty to keep them interested. Whether they split off into smaller individual groups with their friends (adults, children and the in-between). Or, alternatively, they can stay together as a family and make memories whilst embracing ‘play’.
The garden embodies the core values shared by all Greenfingers gardens: Play, Care, Grow, Learn, and Remember. It is a space teeming with ideas, offering activities to engage with and places to simply sit and relax. The garden serves children of various ages, whether they are the children using the facility or the family members of those who attend.
This immersive experience educates, inspires, and celebrates the needs and requirements of the families and staff who use a Greenfingers garden. It is a safe, caring, and cocooning space, designed to provide enjoyment through play and foster a sense of community.
Features Within The Garden & What They Represent
Play
The garden is filled with sensory elements that encourage play. From peephole planks within the planting to a sensory pergola featuring coloured ribbons, a slinky wall, musical instruments, texture panels (sequins, astroturf, beads, etc.), and even a Lego panel. A wide sensory path, with textured flooring and freestanding panels, caters to children in wheelchairs. For more able children, a ‘tall stepping stone’ path leads to a raised deck behind the pergola, offering a ‘cosy corner’ space. Hand shapes hang from ivy panels and hedges with children’s names (fictional for the show). Fun bean bags, a hammock, and a slide add elements of fun and socialization.
Care
Quiet spaces, including the ‘Cosy Corner,’ provide places for children to sit and talk to each other, their family, or the staff. This area also offers a supportive environment for staff who need some time for themselves.
Grow
Learning is a key aspect of the garden, helping children grow intellectually and emotionally. Raised planters at the front of the garden contain mixed herbs, fruits, and vegetables, allowing children to experience the soil and help plants physically grow. This hands-on experience contributes to their learning and provides them with something edible.
Learn
The garden is a constant source of learning, from sensory play elements to growing herbs and vegetables. The kitchen space also plays a role in this process, allowing children to be part of another experience and enjoy the end product.
Remember
The garden helps create lasting memories while providing a place to remember family and friends who have been lost. This is highlighted by names tied to the hedge in ‘Cosy Corner,’ with the potential to enhance this feature by hanging names from the pergola as well.
Who are Greenfingers Charity
Greenfingers Charity is a dedicated organisation that creates magical and therapeutic gardens for children in hospices across the UK. Their mission is to provide beautiful, well-designed outdoor spaces where children with life-limiting conditions can enjoy time with their families, friends, and carers. These gardens offer a vital opportunity for children to engage with nature, play, and find moments of therapeutic rest and relaxation away from the bedside.
Since its inception, Greenfingers Charity has built nearly 70 inspiring hospice gardens, with many more on the waiting list. The charity relies on the support of the community, fundraising campaigns, and donations to continue their work. By creating these special garden spaces, Greenfingers Charity brings joy, comfort, and a sense of normalcy to children and their families during challenging times.
Garden Design Plan Features
The garden’s diagonal layout maximizes space and creates distinct zones. Colours in the garden highlight those used by Greenfingers in their promotional advertising, with vibrant, mixed planting schemes emphasizing that anyone is welcome, regardless of differences. All routes within the garden are approximately 1.5m wide to accommodate wheelchairs, with 1.8m diameter turning circles. The design can also adapt to a sloped site, with ramped entrance paths and sensory paths.
The Rule Pathway serves as the main route, guiding visitors into the space with numbers marked onto the paving like a ruler, matching the handprints on the main patio. Raised planters allow wheelchair users to access the planted areas and add height interest to the scheme. Built-in seating provides convenient resting spots without the need to move furniture. The main area is the heart of the garden, a place to gather and enjoy the fun.
The kitchen area, positioned below the pergola, includes a worktop area and possibly a small oven or BBQ, creating an outdoor workspace with built-in seating nearby. The sensory pergola features a ribbon and slinky wall, a TV screen, and various sensory panels, including sequins, fabrics, astroturf, instruments, a blackboard, and a Lego panel. On the kitchen side, a slatted fence with fairy lights creates a twinkling effect, and a section of the ‘living herb wall’ is also planned.
The garden incorporates sensory pergolas with patterned roofs, a distinctive feature in many Greenfingers gardens. The vibrant mixed planting scheme highlights the importance of embracing differences. Various materials used throughout the garden add texture and another sensory link. Colourful bean bags, cushions, and pots can be added to enhance the colour scheme. A slide provides a fun escape route from the deck area, while the sensory path, with setts, planting, cane-like bumps, pebbles, and grass blocks, offers tactile experiences for children. The ivy hedge, positioned behind the pergola, softens the pergola wall and displays coloured hand shapes with children’s names. The raised deck, accessible via tall stepping stones, offers a private space with wildflowers and vertical, coloured posts to support a hammock.
12-15 June 2025
Birmingham NEC
BBC Gardeners’ World Live is an annual gardening event held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham. This vibrant festival is a must-visit for gardening enthusiasts of all levels, offering a unique opportunity to explore stunning show gardens, gain expert advice, and discover the latest gardening trends. The event features a diverse lineup of gardening experts, including Monty Don, Adam Frost, and Frances Tophill, who share their knowledge and passion through live demonstrations and talks. Visitors can also enjoy live entertainment, interactive workshops, and a variety of food and drink options, making it a perfect day out for the whole family.
One of the highlights of BBC Gardeners’ World Live is the chance to shop for plants, tools, and garden accessories from a wide range of exhibitors. The Floral Marquee, Plant Village, and House Plant Market offer a vast selection of plants, while the Beautiful Borders and Showcase Gardens provide inspiration for transforming your own outdoor space. Whether you’re a seasoned gardener or just starting out, BBC Gardeners’ World Live is an inspiring and enjoyable event that celebrates the joy of gardening and the beauty of nature.
Book before midnight on 7 May to save! Save on standard entry tickets with 20%* off by quoting NEC20 at checkout.
Plus, Young Gardeners (under 16s) go FREE at the weekend!