Full Relandscape of NHS Hospital Courtyard

How A Full Relandscaping of an NHS Courtyard Transformed this Communal Hospital Area for Patients, Staff and Visitors Alike to Enjoy

This NHS courtyard was in need of some TLC to revive it back to a hospitable state that can be enjoyed by all, which included a complete ripping out and relandscaping of the whole outdoor space. Read on to find out how we reworked and restored this hospital courtyard garden.

We’re all aware of the therapeutic benefits that being able to access nature and outdoor spaces has on mental health, which is especially important in a busy hospital setting. This is why the SPA Landscaping team was more than happy to help provide both patients and staff with an outdoor respite where they can take in some fresh air outside the confines of the often stuffy four walls of a hospital room, when we were recently tasked with completely ripping out and relandscaping an NHS courtyard garden.

The aim of fully relandscaping this courtyard was to create a tranquil area where staff and service users can await treatment, take a break or just get some fresh air in a safe outdoor space. With this in mind, one of the most important parts of redesigning the area was ensuring that it was fully accessible for all, including wheelchair users and people with impaired vision. This meant that is was crucial to keep the ground flat and free from tripping hazards, with wide paths that are easily manoeuvrable to accommodate people in wheelchairs or similar so that everybody can enjoy the space to the fullest.

After all the plans were finalised in collaboration with the hospital itself, to prepare the space for its transformation we had to completely strip the existing space to its bare bones in order to give us a blank canvas to build upon. This was a task considering the starting condition that the project was in, including dense moss and fallen leaves covering the ground and thick, overgrown weeds spilling from neglected flower beds, as well as needing to remove heavy outdoor furniture and benches via the building that surrounds the courtyard on each side.

Turning a primarily concrete space between buildings into an attractive, inviting garden area comes with its own set of challenges. One of the main obstacles posed with this landscape renovation was the courtyard’s location. With the courtyard garden being in the middle of the active hospital grounds and only accessible through the building itself, it was imperative to ensure that our team safely moved all materials in and out of the courtyard through the hospital corridors with minimal disruption to staff and patients, as well as taking care to leave the clinical areas in their usual pristine state.

Once our team ripped out and cleared the area ready for its remodelling, it was time to get to work on all the hard and soft landscaping installation to restore the courtyard garden to its once welcoming state. The old space was created using straight, angular lines, so when reworking and reinstalling the garden beds and paths we went with a more rounded approach, using curved lines and softer edges to carve out a more fun and inviting space. We opted for a lighter path colour to brighten up the courtyard given its sheltered location, creating a visually engaging contrast between the path and the darker plant beds.

We were also thankful to be able to repurpose pieces of the existing outdoor furniture such as picnic benches and bird baths to add the finishing touches. This was great as, not only did it help us to be more resourceful and eco conscious by reusing them, but including them in the new space also helps the courtyard retain its previous identity.

Before pictures of the site before preparing it for a full landscape renovation.

Moss-riddled ground and flower beds overgrown with weeds were just some of the obstacles to overcome when preparing this courtyard for a full transformation.

After the transformation: barely recognisable as the same space!

Now this clean, inviting courtyard garden is ready to welcome in hospital patients, staff and visitors to enjoy the peaceful outdoor space.

Contact Us

At SPA Landscaping, we take care of your hospital grounds while you take care of your patients.

If you are a hospital manager looking for a reliable hospital grounds maintenance team for landscape renovation, regular hard or soft landscaping upkeep or more, get in touch with us.

Telephone: (0114) 269 9119

Email: info@spalandscaping.co.uk