RHS announces new wellbeing garden for Oldham Hospital

The Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) has unveiled plans for a new wellbeing garden at The Royal Oldham Hospital that will support staff, patients and the wider environment as the charity creates its 17th garden in partnership with the NHS.

RHS research and experience has shown that gardens and gardening can promote good health, prevent ill health and support recovery when it's needed most and the NHS partnership has enabled the creation of gardens that provide these benefits in health settings across England.

Created in partnership with the Northern Care Alliance NHS Foundation Trust and NorthCare Charity, Royal Oldham will see award-winning landscape designer Adam Frost work closely with hospital staff to reimagine its 1930s Fountain Garden.

Previously laid to lawn, the space will be redesigned to introduce climate‑resilient, wildlife‑friendly planting, along with new seating areas shaded by trees to encourage people to pause and unwind.

With the changing climate and more extreme weather in mind, the area surrounding the fountain will be planted with low maintenance, resilient species, such as Amsonia hubrichtii (Arkansas bluestar), Geranium nodosum (knotted cranesbill), and Eupatorium dubium (‘Little Joe’). Soft, textural ornamental grasses like Sesleria autumnalis (autumn moor-grass) will add movement and visual interest throughout the seasons.

The redesign will also improve the site’s ecological value, with fruiting trees and shrubs selected to maximise the benefit for wildlife. Woody species including native Sorbus torminalis (wild service tree) and Cornelian cherry as well as non-natives, such as Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura tree) and Japanese rowan will all increase planting palette variety and provide year-round interest.

To further boost biodiversity, the outer strip of grass will be filled with bulbs and left unmown until summer. Early‑flowering bulbs, including crocuses, snowdrops and naturalising Narcissus cultivars, will provide essential forage for pollinators emerging in late winter, while elsewhere alliums will extend nectar availability into midsummer.

The design aligns with the principals of the RHS Wellbeing Blueprint, launched this year, which provides organisations and communities with an evidence-based framework for creating green spaces that support emotional health and connection with nature. Built around seven design principles: accessibility, wayfinding, serenity, multisensory planting, spatial organisation, exploration and play, and cultural significance, the Blueprint offers practical pathways to wellbeing garden design regardless of size or budget, whether for a hospital, school, or community setting.

Adam Frost, award-winning landscape designer, said: “It’s been a privilege to reimagine Royal Oldham’s existing hospital garden. Our aim was to create a space that will be both beautiful and resilient, and that will support wildlife as much as the people who spend time in it. I hope it becomes somewhere people can step into, take a moment and feel supported by the landscape around them.”

Aimee Clare, Interim Head of Fundraising at NorthCare Charity said: “We’re so proud and excited to collaborate with the RHS on this special project at Royal Oldham. We often hear how much small moments of calm can mean in a hospital setting, whether that’s for an NCA colleague taking a break, or for a patient or family member getting some fresh air or finding a quiet space. This garden will offer exactly that; somewhere to pause, take time out and feel connected to nature. We’re really grateful to the RHS for their support - it’s going to be a beautiful space.”

Previous RHS wellbeing gardens have already made a clear impact, including on one biomedical scientist at St James University Hospital Leeds who said: “The wellbeing garden and workshops have helped with my day to day health and mental wellbeing at work by enabling me to have a space to go to when I am feeling stressed during a busy day. I can be with nature in a calm quiet place and then return to work feeling refreshed.”

Victoria Shearing, RHS Wellbeing Garden Programme Manager, said: “Our wellbeing gardens are designed to bring the proven benefits of nature into the heart of healthcare settings. By transforming this historic space, we hope to give patients, staff and visitors a beautiful, restorative environment that supports both mental and physical wellbeing.”

Building on successful volunteer gardening clubs at Colchester Hospital, University Hospital Lewisham and St James’s hospital Leeds, the RHS Communities team will create a new gardening club at the hospital, bringing together volunteers to develop and care for the garden. Alongside this, activities will run through to autumn 2028, promoting wellbeing and connection through nature, including sessions on biodiversity, habitat creation and inclusive opportunities for the whole hospital community.

To find out more about the RHS Wellbeing Blueprint and access guidance for creating your own at home or in an organisational setting visit rhs.org.uk/advice/health-and-wellbeing/blueprint  

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