Garden of Recovery

Community Garden, Coleraine

The Garden had many ups and downs in its creation, the main being the original refusal for funding. This meant that the work we'd been doing for nearly 8 months would be for nothing because the work was specific peices of art that would become paving stones within the garden path. Not content with the funding refusal we took another look at the garden as it was. We looked out over an open green surrounded by high fences. This was not a place to inspire relaxation and healing.

Funding had already been vetoed though, right?

Not exactly, the previous designer and building team had quoted big money (£££s) and so when looking at that, of course they refused. But we didn't need to spend all that, in fact we could do a lot more with a lot less. So that's just what we did. We wanted the space to be welcoming and yet sheltered, making use of the natural slope of the ground allowed us to make use of the earth that was excavated to level the ground as well as creating the sunken area for seating.