This garden draws inspiration from designer Hilary Newhall’s favourite childhood book, The Secret Garden, with high planting and fencing evocative of the story’s eponymous enclosed sanctuary. Herself autistic, the design aims to create a safe space for autistic individuals.
The planting in some areas is deliberately restrained, for sensory-avoidant individuals; whereas other areas have a wilder feel, for the benefit of sensory-seeking garden visitors.
Taste is catered for by a planting palette comprised exclusively of edibles, with a barbecue on hand to boil water for herbal teas. Touch is served by both plants, as well as bespoke sensory seating.
A bubble fountain provides a soothing soundscape, pulsing at a calming 72 bpm, the rate of an average human heartbeat at rest. Key structural plants, such as Golden Chard and architectural Globe Artichokes, contribute to the yellow-and-purple colour scheme.
