Our Gardens

Open Gardens

In 2009, North Devon Hospice was also the only hospice in the country to open its gardens to the public as part of the National Gardens Scheme.

In 2010 we will once again to layout out cream teas and marquee stalls, and welcoming the community into our gardens.

• July 10 - 11 (10am - 4pm)
• September 4-5 (10am - 4pm)

What's the attraction?

North Devon Hospice is a beautiful place to relax in.  The very core of it's design has been centred around creating a calm and peaceful atmostphere for patients and guests alike. We are exceptionally fortunate to have Colin Porter, Kew trained and Horticulture Week's 'Gardener of the Year 2010' working in our gardens to make them not just beatutiful, but practical too. In his years at North Devon Hospice, Colin has managed many projects and brought our gardens to the attention of the National Gardens Scheme - a first for hospices in the UK. His projects have included:

• A Retreat Garden, with Japanese-inspired planting and landscaping
• Autumn and winter borders
• 2 ponds
• Kitchen garden producing fruit, vegetables and herbs for use in the hospice
• Mazzard orchard featuring local varieties of mazzard cherry and plum trees
• Rose garden
• Physic garden, opening June 2010, featuring medicinal herbs and plants

The Physic Garden

Most notably In 2010, North Devon Hospice will be opening its brand new Physic Garden. This is an area of the garden devoted to herbs and plants with medicinal properties and is another first for hospices in the UK. The garden has been built by Colin himself, and has also been backed by Professor Liz Williamson of Reading University, one of the countries most eminent experts in the medicinal value of plants.

Many patients at North Devon Hospice receive complementary therapies, such as aromatherapy, which involve the use of plants and herb extracts. The Physic Garden will help our therapists to explain to patients what benefits certain plants may bring. Plant and herb extracts have also been used for centuries in medicine, some of which have been scientifically proven while others are based in folklore.

The Physic Garden is just the latest addition to the hospice's gardens, which have become an important part of the services offered by North Devon Hospice. Whether spending the day at the hospice or having a longer stay on the bedded unit, patients enjoy the peace and tranquillity of the gardens on a daily basis. They are also calm and contemplative spaces for families and friends who are also affected by the illness of a loved-one.

All of these things make our gardens worth spending time in.  We would be delighted to see you at one of our open gardens. No booking is required, just come along to North Devon Hospice, Deer Park, Newport, Barnstaple, North Devon EX32 0HU - any time between 10am and 4pm, on July 10^th-11^th and September 4^th-5^th.

We look forward to seeing you