Gold-award-winning Chelsea Flower Show designer, Charlie Hawkes, returned to the 2023 competition with a garden supporting people with Posterior Cortical Atrophy (PCA), a rare dementia affecting the way the brain processes sight.
A winner in 2022, Hawkes’ latest design – Rare Space – was delivered in partnership with The National Brain Appeal for the annual RHS showcase in May. The design was informed by speaking to patients, doctors, and support workers about how people with PCA have to navigate change in their lives. And contrast and simplicity are essential elements to his creation, with bright blue benches, clear concrete walkways, and strong colours that act as wayfinders, while planting includes dark-stemmed Anthriscus ‘Ravenswing’ Astrantia ‘Burgundy Manor’, Polemonium ‘Bressingham Purple’, Hakonechloa macra, and Rogersia ‘Braunlaub’.
SUPPORTING INDEPENDENCE
Hawkes said: “This garden allows those living with visual and non-memory-led dementias to easily navigate a custom-designed outdoor space, so it becomes an accessible and stimulating environment for them to enjoy and move around with greater independence. “One in six people in the UK are affected by neurological conditions, so it’s important to support the exceptional work of The National Brain Appeal in funding world-leading research and supporting people with neurological conditions. “I hope the garden will increase the feeling of wellbeing and connectedness of people living with rare dementias and other neurological conditions.”
A BALANCING ACT
He added: “The garden has been designed to offer a balance between exploration and calm navigation. “A person who has a visual or non-memory-led dementia will have a greater sense of safety within a calm space they can enjoy with a friend or family member. “A level, simply-textured path with minimal joints turns through the garden, offering along its way brightly-coloured seating areas and sheltered spaces that promote independent wayfinding. “And soothing water features, positioned next to each of the seating areas, also enhance the restful environment.” The garden, which was built by Landscape Associates, will now move to a permanent home close to the new Rare Dementia Support Centre in central London.
