NHS Garden for Old Hospital Green

Newbury Town Council has plans to plant an NHS Commemorative garden at Old Hospital Green, on Andover Road. The green space, which is home to the ‘Binary Conversation’ sculpture, has been chosen by the Council’s Green Spaces Working Group for the new scheme. Herbs, shrubs and plants, widely known for their medicinal qualities, will be planted.

The planting is proposed to start in April, and the Council would welcome any feedback with regards to the plans.

The scheme has been designed by local resident, volunteer and garden designer, Fran Lawton who said;
‘The idea of a medicinal garden on the site of the old hospital was a very natural decision. To keep up with this theme the layout of the garden was inspired by antibodies. The inherent shape of the antibodies allows the immune system to recognise millions of different antigens to defend and protect the body.‘

All of the plants are medicinal in some way or cultivars of medicinal plants. The planting includes some of the following;

– Hamamelis – witch hazel – a potent anti-inflammatory and antiviral
– Symphytum – comfrey – healing bruises and sprains
– Echinacea – for coughs, colds and respiratory infections
– Alchemilla mollis – ladies mantle – spasms,
– Nepeta – cat mint – calming nerves and congestions

Medicinal plants, also called medicinal herbs, have been discovered and used in traditional medicine practices since prehistoric times.

Cllr Jon Gage, Chair of the Green Spaces Working Group, said;

‘We are excited to be able to plant this type of garden area at Old Hospital Green with something a little bit different. We’ll be planting some of the well-known herbs, such as thyme, lavender and sage, along with some lesser-known herbs. The plants will be labelled with their botanical names, so visitors can have a look and see what has been planted. We thought it fitting to dedicate the garden to the NHS, particularly throughout the current COVID-19 pandemic, and as the area was part of the old Newbury Hospital site it is an ideal location. Of course, these plants should not be used without proper medical knowledge and will be planted for everyone’s enjoyment to look at and should not be taken away and used for any purpose.‘

The planting is proposed to start in April, and the Council welcomes any feedback with regards to the plans.

You can email [email protected] or write to the Town Hall, Market Place, RG14 5AA with your views.