"The Memory Box"
Shrewsbury Flower Show 2010 gold medal winner
Purpose
This was designed by Teresa with Mike Vout and commissioned by The Wrekin Housing Trust.
The “Memory Box” garden has been designed with a special purpose in mind as it has been recreated at one of the Trust’s sheltered housing schemes when the show was over, where it will bring enjoyment for years to come. Many of the features incorporated into the garden have been designed with older people in mind, retaining a contemporary feel whilst providing an accessible space in which residents can relax.
In the video on the right, Pamela Edwards manager of Supported Housing at the Trust, talks through the background to the design and how the residents of Hallcroft had an input into the design.
Teresa and Mike talk through some of their ideas about the design as well.
A variety of trees, shrubs and shade-loving plants provide a calm backdrop to some of the more unusual elements, which include gabions filled with recycled bottles and wooden boxes housing hundreds of memories of the sheltered housing scheme’s residents.
he garden has brought together the combined efforts of a number of people, including local designers Mike Vout and Teresa Rham, and members of the Trust’s own landscaping team who actually built the garden. Many of the Trust’s suppliers donated components, and personal contributions from many of the sheltered housing scheme’s residents and employees of the Trust completed the overall look.
Residents of the Hallcroft sheltered housing scheme in Newport, where the garden will be re-built after the Flower Show is over, have been closely involved in the design of the garden, even enjoying a morning at the Jackfield Tile Museum where they each made tiles that will be incorporated into the garden itself.
The garden received its very own opening ceremony with local personality and interested gardener Shirley Tart, saying a few words and cutting the ribbon. Shirley said: "I was most impressed with the design of the garden as it is both practical and versatile for older people to actively use. The low borders and shrubs allows for easy gardening, whilst the memory box area provides a restful and peaceful place to sit."
Residents are happy
Hallcroft Close resident Joyce Ridgeway has been delighted to have played a part: “This has been such an imaginative and creative project and we have really enjoyed playing a part in the design of the garden. We’re looking forward to seeing it come to life when it is recreated here in Newport, and in particular seeing the tiles that we all made at Jackfield.”