Gardeners from Headley Court, with support from Scotts Miracle-Gro, are building a garden at the 2012 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

You may have read previously on lovethegarden about the Horticultural Therapy Unit at Headley Court, which uses gardening as a means of providing physical, psychological and cognitive rehabilitation to injured service personnel.

The project in the walled garden of Britain’s leading hospital for injured soldiers in Leatherhead, Surrey, seeks to do exactly that – providing an outdoor space where battle casualties can find their varying needs met through the medium of horticulture.

As a support to this therapy unit, Scotts Miracle-Gro provides useful composts, plant foods and sundries to help the troops grow more beautiful plants, while they learn to effectively use artificial limbs and to cope with the psychological problems they often encounter after battle injuries.

This year, to raise the profile of this Defence Medical Rehabilitation Unit and the work and support provided by Help For Heroes Charity they are planning to create a garden next to the Miracle-Gro’wers Flower Garden at the 2012 RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Their garden, to be built in the Great Pavilion, is to be designed by Geoff Whiten who will also design our schools’ red, white and blue Jubilee-themed floral tribute. The therapy unit will show that gardens can be beautiful, as well as provide space that improves strength, endurance, fine motor skills and concentration to the injured. The garden will be wheelchair friendly and provide a covered work area known as the ‘Potting Shed’. Let’s hope that the shed is fitted with a kettle for the gardeners’ traditional, therapeutic cup of tea!