OUTDOOR SPACES


a huge crowd. A collaboration between landscape


them to interact and engage with plants and other people. Foliage and flowering plants were chosen to blend in harmony and to provide year-round colour and scent.


KEEPING ACTIVE For people with dementia, getting outside enables them to exercise, with evidence pointing to the fact that those who spent as little as 10-15 minutes outside saw their health improve significantly. Of even greater significance for


people with dementia is evidence that indicates that keeping the brain exercised and active contributes towards preventing, or lessening, cognitive decline.


And walking outside three times a


week results in significant benefits in a person’s ability to communicate. For those who are less active, just


watching and enjoying the activity of others, and the daily changes of light, shade, sun and clouds, growth of plants, wildlife and so on has been found to be just as beneficial. At this year’s Bloom Festival,


Ireland’s largest horticultural event, the Bloom Dementia Friendly Garden pulled


gardening firm, Newtown Saunders; TrinityHaus research centre; and dementia training organisation, Sonas; the design is centred on understanding, togetherness and connection. Clever use of layout, colour, planting and customised garden fittings create an attractive, safe and therapeutic outdoor space designed to tap into a person’s retained skills, abilities, interests and memories. Plants were chosen to reflect those of a person’s youth –daisies, lupins, lavender and dianthus help to trigger memories and facilitate reminiscence. And scented flowers, flowing water


and birdsong further stimulate the senses, while zoning and colours provide visual cues, helping with orientation and wayfinding. The accessible raised planter, mini


glasshouse, tool shed, and vertical planter give easy access to gardening activities and further engagement with nature.


www.newtownsaunders.ie www.trinityhaus.tcd.ie www.sonasapc.ie www.rosebanklandscaping.co.uk


Over to you!


Here are some top tips for creating a dementia-friendly garden from the Dementia: Understand Together campaign 1. Layout – try to ensure the garden is easy to access, has a straightforward layout, and is easy to get around. Paths and patios should be level, non-slip and in one single colour. Provide handrails for ease of mobility and include accessible features such as raised planters.


2. Planting – choose plants that stir the senses with vibrant colours and beautiful scents. Think about using plants that are interesting to touch as well as those that are well-known and stimulate fond memories. Recommendations include hydrangea; pinks/carnations; English lavender; Japanese maple; and Ox- eye daisy


3. Familiar features – make the garden personal and include items that link with a person’s past, e.g. a vegetable patch, familiar plants, bird tables and a milk churn


4. An opportunity to relax – provide shelter and seating located where you can see back to the inside spaces


5. Easy to potter – have tools and garden equipment that are nearby, clearly visible, and easy to use. This will support gardening activities which can be hugely therapeutic and afford opportunities to reminisce


mhdf magazine


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