The first project of its kind in the region, The White Rose Wellbeing Garden will provide a restorative space to relax and reflect for those working in or visiting the hospital.
Located in the grounds of the 100-year-old former nurses’ home, which now serves as the Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust (LTHT) headquarters, the garden has been designed primarily for frontline staff, to offer a space to take a break away from their demanding roles. The garden is also openly accessible to patients and visitors to the hospital who can enjoy the benefits from the healing power of nature.
LTHT colleagues were involved in the design of this garden through a consultation process. It features new seating areas, an all-weather shelter complete with green roof and plenty of pollinator-friendly planting. There are over 200m2 of mixed beds, new trees and shrubs and a mix of native and non-native planting selected for maximum wildlife benefit. Medicinal plants such as valerian, evening primrose, lemon verbena and hyssop have been incorporated in homage to the garden’s site at one of the region’s largest acute hospitals.
The RHS Community Outreach team will regularly host staff workshops in the garden as a further offering to support staff wellbeing, and a gardening club will ensure staff can be involved in the garden’s upkeep. Additionally, the garden will also provide a venue for Trust and community events, the first of which took place in September when the Baton of Hope passed through as part of World Suicide Prevention Day, and a plaque was unveiled in memory of those who have died by suicide.
This garden is part of a national programme of work from the RHS ensuring wellbeing gardens are recognised as critical components in health and community settings. To date, the RHS programme includes 12 small healthcare centre gardens and three larger hospital gardens, with a fourth due for delivery in 2026. The first of the larger gardens opened at University Hospital Lewisham in 2022, where more than 70% of staff surveyed reported improved mental health, citing the Wellbeing Garden as a crucial space for decompression and recharge during challenging periods.
Antony Kildare, Chair of Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust said:
“The White Rose Wellbeing Garden is such a wonderful addition to our hospital. We are delighted that the garden is now open to be enjoyed by our colleagues, patients and visitors. The positive impact of green spaces on both physical and mental health is well recognised, and this garden offers a much-needed retreat in the heart of our bustling St James’s University Hospital site. The garden will give our colleagues the chance to pause, connect with nature and recharge, helping them to return to their roles refreshed and ready to continue delivering the compassionate care we’re so proud of.
“We are deeply grateful to the RHS for their creativity and commitment to bringing this garden to life as well as our own External Environment Team for their invaluable contribution. I would also like to thank all those whose generous support has funded this important project, including Leeds Hospitals Charity, who recognition of the importance of investing in wellbeing helps us care for our patients to the very best of our ability.”
Clare Matterson, RHS Director General, said:
“At the RHS we are committed to supporting people’s health through the healing power of plants and gardens, and nowhere is this better reflected than in our national programme of NHS wellbeing gardens. It is well documented that greenery and time spent in nature have numerous health benefits, including faster healing and reduced stress, so we are very pleased to have worked with Adam Frost and Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust to create this new space which will so benefit staff, patients and visitors.”
