The play elements
include a natural
timber climbing
structure with a
slide, swings, a
climbing net and a
chalk-board, as well
as a bird-bath and
a mounded lawn.
Two ride-on toys
are mounted on a
colourful mosaic
base depicting
insects and animals.
The mosaic is by
artist Bronwyn
Findlay. Playful
sculptures of animals by artist Winston Luthuli are waiting to be discovered
between the plants and under the climbing structure.
The Sensory (Horticultural Therapy) Garden and Occupational Therapy
Garden will provide an outdoor venue for the programmes offered by the
hospital. Horticultural therapy gives a
child the opportunity to participate in the
cycle of nature and to substitute the role as
patient for the role of caregiver, through
activities such as planting, re-potting,
weeding, pruning and ‘harvesting’. These
activities reduce boredom and stress,
resulting in happier children that recover
more quickly. The client immediately
grasped the value of this therapeutic
garden.
The three raised planters in the Sensory
Garden will allow children (standing or in
wheelchairs) to see, touch, smell, taste and
harvest the plant material with relative
ease. The plants have been carefully
selected for their sensory properties. There
are edible plants that provide the patients
with an opportunity to taste, such as
cherry tomatoes, sweet peppers, carrots,
celery, fennel, strawberries and
the indigenous scrambling Carpobrotus
edulis (Sour Fig). Fragrant herbs are
plentiful, amongst which are lemon grass,
basil (Sweet Italian), thyme, rosemary
and sage; along with the sensory
experience provided by the crushed leaves
of scented species, such as Pelargonium
capitatum (rose scented), Pelargonium
citronellum (lemon scented), Tulbaghia