TV star garden designer to help Bedfordshire care home

Award-winning garden designer, BBC TV presenter and writer, Mark Lane, is set to design a sensory garden for a Leonard Cheshire care home in Ampthill, Bedfordshire.

Leonard Cheshire is a charity, supporting people to live, learn and work, as independently as they choose, whatever their ability.

Earlier this year, the National Garden Scheme made Leonard Cheshire one of its Gardens and Health beneficiaries, with a donation of £120,000 to develop sensory gardens and horticultural volunteering projects for disabled people across the UK.

The charity is using part of the money to develop a sensory garden at Agate House, which is home to 36 adults with physical disabilities.

The land around the home has potential for development, but is not currently accessible to everyone.

With the support of Mark and the National Garden Scheme, the charity plans to transform part of the grounds into a sensory garden which will be fully inclusive for all.

The project will give residents of Agate House the opportunity to experience the enormous benefits gardens can bring to people’s health, happiness and wellbeing.

Mark said: “Gardens that are fully accessible or inclusive help bring communities together, help tackle isolation, but above all are great fun and incredible for both mental and physical wellbeing. Gardening can be a sociable activity or a quiet personal activity; either way, everyone can garden no matter their ability.”

Jane, a resident of Agate House, said: “I love to see the flowers in the garden and can’t wait for all of us to be able to use the new space that Mark has designed.”