The Greenfingers Charity announces exciting garden developments
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As 2025 gets fully underway, the team at the Greenfingers Charity are celebrating as work continues apace at four of its current garden projects – Acorns Children Hospice, Hope House, Chestnut Tree and Bluebell Wood.
Acorns Children’s Hospice, Walsall
The garden at Acorns Children’s Hospice, Walsall started last week (10th February), marking another significant milestone in the charity’s mission to create inspiring outdoor spaces for life-limited children and their families.
This new garden has been designed by VaRa Garden Design, a talented design team known for their previous work creating a Greenfingers garden at Rainbows House in Loughborough. The team’s combined expertise in creating safe, engaging and tranquil outdoor spaces will ensure that this new garden provides a fun space and much needed comfort, respite, and joy for the children and their loved ones that call Acorns ‘home’.
Making VaRa’s vision a reality are the teams from Pleydell Smithyman, a specialist design and business consultancy, who have provided their support and expertise and Paul Taylor Landscapes who, as the appointed landscaping contractor began work this month to transform the garden, bringing their wealth of experience and craftsmanship to the project.
Hope House Children’s Hospice, Oswestry
In further exciting news, Greenfingers Charity has also confirmed the appointment of Landstruction as the landscaping contractor for its Gathering Heart Garden at Hope
House Children’s Hospice in Oswestry. Landstruction previously worked on the much- loved Greenfingers Garden at Claire House in The Wirral, will now apply their expertise to this latest project to bring CW Studios design to life. Work on this exciting new outdoor space is due to start in March 2025.
Chestnut Tree Hospice, Arundel
At Chestnut Tree Hospice in Arundel, a new kitchen garden is set to be created, designed by the renowned Fisher Tomlin & Bowyer. This garden will produce fresh food for the hospice kitchen, will be a place for children to learn about growing and a place for parents to talk. The build will be carried out by Baylis Landscape Contractors Ltd, who were previously responsible for the beautiful garden at Demelza Hospice.
Sittingbourne. Construction is scheduled to begin in April, with funding generously provided by Roger Head.
Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice, Sheffield
At Bluebell Wood Children’s Hospice in Sheffield a beautiful new outdoor space – the Together Garden - is set to transform the area outside one of the hospice’s bereavement suites. Designed by talented landscape designers, Phil Hirst and Joanne Charlton, the garden will offer a peaceful and comforting environment for families lasting memories.
Supporting the project will be the recently appointed Jus Landscapes & Exteriors, with hard landscaping set to begin in April.
Thanks to generous sponsorship, the garden will debut at The RHS Flower Show Wentworth Woodhouse in July. Following the show, the plants along with some other elements will be carefully relocated to the new hospice garden, ensuring its lasting beauty and significance.
Coming up: new projects for 2026
- At Naomi House in Winchester, Greenfingers is embarking on an ambitious project to transform its outdoor space into a therapeutic haven. The hospice has requested the creation of sensory areas, points of interest, seating spaces, and shaded zones. With a south-facing garden that is visible from the children’s bedrooms, the aim is to design a space that brings comfort, tranquillity, and a connection to nature, offering a peaceful environment for both children and their families.
- At Haven House in Woodford Green, Phase 2 of the Woodland Walk is now being planned. This phase will focus on creating a Memory Tree and a covered seating area, which will provide a serene space for bereaved families and those facing the most difficult stages of their hospice journey to take time to reflect and remember.
- At Dougie Mac in Stoke-on-Trent, Greenfingers will also be redesigning and rebuilding its Woodland Walk to enhance accessibility for all visitors, regardless of mobility. The new design will include sheltered areas to allow the garden to be used in all weather conditions, ensuring the hospice can maximise its outdoor space throughout the year. This redesign aims to create a welcoming, inclusive environment where families can relax and enjoy the peaceful surroundings, offering support and respite during challenging times.
Neil Sewell, Operations Director at Greenfingers Charity said: “The support from the garden designers and landscapers we are working with, as well as Pleydell Smithyman, is invaluable, and we cannot wait to see how these beautiful gardens will take shape over the coming months. With each project we undertake, we see first-hand the positive impact Greenfingers Gardens have on children’s lives, bringing smiles and precious moments to families during difficult times.”
Linda Petrons, Director of Fundraising & Communications said: “We are thrilled to be moving forward with these incredible projects. We know that gardens play a crucial role in the well-being of children and families in hospices, providing a place of peace, reflection, enjoyment and so much more.
These projects form part of the charity’s ongoing commitment to designing and building therapeutic gardens in hospices across the UK, ensuring that children with life-limiting conditions along with their families and carers have access to outdoor spaces tailored to their needs. Over the last 25 years, Greenfingers Charity has created almost 70 hospice gardens, each providing a unique haven for the entire hospice community.
Find out more
To learn more about the work of the Greenfingers Charity please visit www.greenfingerscharity.org.uk. You can also join in the conversation by joining Greenfingers on social media - www.facebook.com/Greenfingerscharity, @GreenfingersCha on Twitter, and @Greenfingerscharity on Instagram and LinkedIn.