The Mental Health Garden

I am excited to announce that I have designed this garden to highlight mental health awareness.  The garden will be at the Harrogate Flower Show from 25-28 April and is proudly supporting Leeds Mind, the Leeds mental health charity which provides support and information when people need it most.

I was inspired to create the garden after helping someone close to me through mental health issues and I wanted to show that there is light at the end of the tunnel - people can learn to manage their mental health with help and support.  

The garden reflects features of mental health suffering and recovery - from self-harm to counselling to help to manage the very real pain that those with these issues experience. 

The features include:
Upright strips which represent the injuries inflicted in self-harm;
A table and chairs representing counselling through talking therapies;
Gabions with dark pebbles (to symbolise how sufferers feel they are depressed) which change into paler coloured pebbles as they recover with counselling and support; 
Objects representing activities often chosen to combat mental health issues.

A polished stone spherical sculpture, provided by David Harber, will provide a strong focal point at the culmination of the journey around the garden, evidencing a new inner strength and positivity in dealing with mental health issues after adopting strategies developed through talking therapies and other forms of mental health support.

People getting behind the garden to support it include:

Johnsons of Whixley - nurserymen.co.uk
Stone Warehouse - stonewarehouse.co.uk
Marshalls - marshalls.co.uk
David Harber - davidharber.co.uk
3volution - 3volution.co.uk