Jacqui Swindells , Chief Operating Officer, Abbeyfield Ferring Society – August 2018
Luc was asked to rectify a garden that we had altered at our Assisted Living complex, Old School House in Ferring. The garden looked nothing more than a glorified car park before Luc came and was not ‘older people friendly’ for our residents to enjoy, so very few ventured outside for fear of falling.
Luc transformed our space into an oasis of calm and tranquility for everyone to enjoy. By allowing lots of exposure to natural light (which provides vitamin D, so important to good health), Luc also ensured privacy and areas of relaxation were paramount. The transformation of our garden also encourage our residents to pursue familiar gardening activities such as digging and planting and the residents now have a gardening club producing a herb and vegetable patch, which is used in our home cooked food. We can also use our space as a place for exercise and games.
The garden also offers a unique opportunity to provide a feast for the senses. Fragrant and vibrantly colored plants and shrubs were planted to provide excellent sensory stimulation for those residents who experience sensory loss.
Our garden can also be enjoyed from the inside, with big pots and further shrubs added to areas directly outside windows so even on rainy cold days we can still see colour.
Luc also ensured there is a clear pathway around the garden and leading to the furniture, which is discreetly situated at one end of the garden so as not to block the view of the garden from all angles.
Luc made our garden a safe and secure environment with barrier-free access and no steep levels that may result in any slips or falls.
The planting Luc did has also softened the appearance of walls and fencing. And a water feature was added as a quite reflective place to sit and read or simply to be still.
The residents and staff of Old School House can not thank Luc enough for the way he has transformed our garden and the way he has allowed us to bring the outside, indoors for everyone to enjoy.
Bill Demel, Community Development director at Guild Care (May 2018)
Luc has made a huge impact with his garden design skills at a number of our services over a number of years. He has a comprehensive knowledge of horticulture and garden design and has worked well with services to develop beautiful design briefs, formulate budgets and deliver on time gardens that have continued to look great over the years.
Our design briefs have included large and small gardens, many for specific needs (e.g. dementia friendly, a restful small hidden garden for people to have a quiet moment).
Luc has a real flair in translating people’s ideas into beautiful and practical gardens with interest throughout the year.
Luc Gardens 