Garden for an individual with a learning disability

 The above is an example of a garden bought in for a client who has learning disabilities.  Staff were able to take a best interest decision to organise this for her.  She is non verbal but can indicate what she feels by facial expressions, body language and sounds. She lives in a shared house but has a glass French door from her room which looks onto a large rectangular garden.  Because of the glass that she can look through from her room, this works as an extension from her room.  She is the only one in the house with her own garden area.  I thought this showed imagination on behalf of the staff to go ahead and provide something like this and arrange the facility and funding. Cost £4,000.  The idea may have fallen at the first hurdle ie why should one person have a facility when the others have the plainer shared garden.  I am pleased that at least one person can benefit from this.  The glass French door providing easy access door onto garden area is a key feature to its' success.  Although only one individual benefits from it, she can invite others in. When she no longer lives there another person can benefit. The main garden can be improved upon and different inputs given to the others that live there.

I was interested in the design elements of it and in what you get for £4,000.  This space has the central feature of a wooden pergola.  The four standing ends of the pergola have wrap around plastic grey tubs with shrubs in.  The paving is large slabs and a pleasing white, golden colour.  The paving slopes down at the side in a paved ramp formation to suit the gradient.  There are small ball lights attached to the pergola and placed in trees in raised beds. There are wooden raised beds on three sides of the pergola and the fourth side is her glass French door.

What makes the design shown for the individual concerned who has poor mobility and for anyone really as it adds to the quality of their life and enjoyment is the ability to view the garden in all weather conditions through the glass. No need to physically be out in it to get some benefit.

The iron/metal chairs were probably chosen to preserve them.  They provide a firm seat for someone with mobility needs who is short in stature.  The addition of cushions for comfort will be important and the design can further be aided by texture and colour and pattern.  This is also true with the addition of a tablecloth.

There is a marked lack of terracotta.  I had thought that this would blend in as the wood pergola looks a natural colour and the white, golden colour paving should showcase terracotta against it. Maybe the expense of stone pots and the possibility that they can crack in cold weather meant that they were not chosen.