The Place2Be Securing Tomorrow Garden is a beautifully planted garden. It offers a safe space where children and adults can take time to relax and talk – a garden that helps facilitate and stimulate conversation. Not only has the garden been developed in close consultation with pupils from Viking Primary School in west London, but also it will be relocated there after the show.
Children feel calm and relaxed in this garden, and can take in the beauty of plants and being outside – something that is especially important for those who have little or no outdoor space at home. This connection with plants and the natural world is something that has proven increasingly important for mental health and wellbeing over the past two years. Place2Be is a children’s mental health charity providing support and training to improve the emotional wellbeing of pupils, families, teachers and school staff.
The charity works in partnership with schools – including Viking Primary – to support children’s emotional wellbeing and address any issues before they become more serious.
Plants take centre stage with the trees providing structure, and shrub and herbaceous planting adding texture, interest and pops of colour. Simple but refined hard landscaping adds to the sense of calm, while large stone boulders and sculpted seats provide spaces for children to sit and talk. A child-friendly, tippy-toe path adds interest and fun for the people who’ll use this important space.
