Dementia friendly garden scoops trophy at Southport Flower Show

Belong and award-winning designer Carolyn Hardern saw their dementia friendly show garden distinguished at Southport Flower Show as it won the Brian Aughton Memorial Trophy for ‘best use of plants in a display’ and a large gold medal for the garden overall.
The Belong Garden, ‘Memories Come in Waves’ has been designed to celebrate Birkdale’s seaside history while maximising sensory and reminiscence opportunities for people living with dementia.
Featuring birch copse for shelter, undulating flower borders inspired by Southport’s Rotten Row, a gazebo resting place, evocative ’S' shaped curved walls and Marram planted sand dunes, the garden is firmly rooted in the local shoreline and will continue providing this sense of place when it is relocated to its eventual home in the new Belong Birkdale care village next year.
A display of vintage photographs framed on groynes introduced an art and reminiscence theme to the garden and was also supported by a unique pop-up exhibition of artworks created by people living with dementia, as part of an innovative collaboration between the care provider and Liverpool’s Bluecoat centre for contemporary arts.
The partnership showcased how engagement in the arts in care environments helps to improve the lives of those with dementia. And in a marquee adjacent to the garden, internationally acclaimed artists emphasised the link by hosting interactive workshops, inviting participation from the show’s visitors.
Upon winning the trophy, Carolyn Hardern said: “I was surprised and thrilled to not only receive the large gold medal but also the Brian Aughton Memorial trophy. I have strived to recreate symbolic emblems of the local area and develop a peaceful, sensory environment for people living with dementia, so it is great to see the garden receive such recognition.”
Commenting on the importance of the garden and its future Tracy Paine, Deputy Chief Executive of Belong, said: “Reviving memories through garden design is truly significant for Belong, as we strive to provide an environment, inside and outside, that is inspiring and therapeutic for people living with dementia. We are thrilled that this wonderful garden will be relocated to Birkdale to ensure that our upcoming village community will have access to a peaceful and beautiful place in which to relive seaside memories of their local area.”