A charity campaigner with a passion for flowers has donated the centrepiece of a special award winning garden designed for BBC Gardeners’ World Live to Birmingham Hospice.
Jan O’Brien has given the hospice a special weeping willow and bench, which has been installed in the garden of our hospice site for our patients to use and enjoy.
These items were the heart of the design, which was called ‘Willow moments and memories’ and featured in the event held at the NEC this summer. The garden was awarded with a silver merit and named Best Interpretation of Theme Beautiful Border.’
award winning garden design.
Jan said: “It was amazing to share the garden with so many while raising awareness, touching people’s hearts and inspiring them to take ideas away to replicate in their own gardens.
“The weeping willow was key to the garden and was placed across the bench to create a tranquil space where people could reflect on cherished memories.
“It was important to me that they go to a charity like Birmingham Hospice, which cares for cancer patients and people at the end of their lives.”
The garden was a calm oasis which focused on the power of memories, provided a place of quiet reflection, and featured a symbolic river made up of everlasting flowers leading to the tree.
It was dedicated to the Willow Foundation, which had previously supported her and provides memorable experiences for those aged between 16 and 40.
Jan wanted the tree and bench to be given to a charity which provides palliative and end of life care after her own experiences with illness.
In 2006, she was diagnosed with cancer of the jaw and needed a bone transplant from her leg to save her life, but the treatment resulted in mobility and respiratory issues. She then lost her mother to cancer in 2022.
The weeping willow, which was donated to her by Yorkshire firm Oriental Trees, and the bench will be added to our gardens to be used by those receiving end of life and palliative care in our Inpatient Unit (IPU).
Birmingham Hospice Corporate Manager Fundraising Manager Luke Manley said: “A huge thank you to Jan for donating such a beautiful piece to our hospice.
“It looks absolutely fantastic in our gardens and we’re looking forward to our patients and their families enjoying them.”
If you would like to support our mission to provide palliative and end of life care for for everyone, please learn more here.
