Jinny Blom has designed the first indoor garden for patients and staff at Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, opened on 31st May 2016 by the Mayor of Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea.

CW+, the charity for the hospital appointed the award winning landscape designer Jinny Blom as Artist in residence to design this new relaxing space. The new garden, which hospital staff chose to name ‘CW+ Greenhaven’, is designed to be a restorative and calming area of the hospital for patients, their families and hospital staff. The project has been kindly supported by the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea (RBKC) and Jinny Blom Limited.

Jinny Blom is a former Psychologist and Psychotherapist and worked in the public sector in residential mental health for ten years before moving to landscape design. Her first-hand experience of using plants, nature and landscapes in a therapeutic context is brought to bear for patients. 

Jinny Blom says: “For a garden to be pleasing it has to be comfortable and accessible. We have considered the various contexts in which it might be used and have designed a multidimensional park. It is sociable or private as the circumstances demand and we feel confident that it will bring a lot of pleasure to those who can access it. The planting is rich and exotic with huge trees that can grow out into the atrium. Its exciting!”

Trystan Hawkins, Patient Experience Director for CW+ says: “We are thrilled with the garden which Jinny has so carefully designed. There is a wealth of research which demonstrates how natural environments have a real impact on patient’s wellbeing, recovery and mood. Many of our patients are unable to leave the hospital, often for prolonged lengths of time, so having this space of tranquillity and nature will be a great addition”.

CW+, currently run therapeutic gardening workshops for older patients, many with dementia, at the hospital. This new garden will deliver an additional area for these workshops that are specifically designed to help with the physical, social, emotional and psychological needs of patients. 

The charity will continue to work with Jinny on future initiatives, improving the patient environment and experience in the hospital.