The Macmillan Cancer Support - 'Healing Garden'

For the second post in her series in the run up to Hampton Court 2009, Jill Foxley explains that the death of a customer from cancer and the devotion to his care by a Macmillan support nurse spurred her on to support the Macmillan Cancer Support Trust by building a show garden.

Jill Foxley writes: You know how it gets sometimes with that 'two steps forward, one step back' feel? A couple of weeks ago we went along to Ecobuild and met up with some companies who were all very willing to help out with The Healing Garden we are to build for Hampton Court 2009.

Amazing offers of donations of materials were made and this was fabulous news to us. As Macmillan Cancer Support is our 'partner' in this venture, they are enabling us to use their name to try and procure as much as is possible to keep costs down to an absolute minimum.

However, they obviously and rightly, are not giving us anything towards funding this venture from their hard-won coffers, so it is down to us at The Perfumed Garden to put this show on the road.

The whole idea of The Healing Garden was born when I had a phone call from a potential customer. A man's voice greeted me in a terribly matter-of-fact way although sounding confident and not at all moribund, "Hello Jill, I won't mince my words, I've been told I have only a short time to live and I would like you to take over my garden over the next few months, so my wife can keep it after I am gone. Can we meet tomorrow?"

I met Roger for the first time in his treasured Eden - a grey haired, stately man that was a complete gentleman and utterly down to earth. We walked round his garden and talked things through over a cup of tea.

Yes, I was happy to do this and yes, under the circumstances, we would start sooner rather than later. His wife Jennie, was equally as statuesque and just as lovely but very quietly spoken and understandably daunted by what lay ahead in all ways.

Weeks turned to months and months stretched out to over a year, however Roger lost his fight for life at the end of the following summer. Throughout his last weeks there was another presence in their lives, a Macmillan nurse who gave all the family help, both physically and emotionally and bridged the gap between the medical barrage and the human being.

I spoke at length to her through our many tears at his funeral and her deep commitment, kindness and devotion to her job rang a chord within me. I suppose it was one of those defining moments.

Once designed and then submitted for selection to the RHS for Hampton Court 2009, it was quite clear what a daunting prospect the list of requirements was.

There was never any contest who I would be contacting first to see if they would support this idea. Macmillan. Happily, they seemed to agree eagerly.

Well, we're 'in' and submerged in making the dream a reality. Now (fingers crossed) and thanks to a veritable army of companies both large and small, we have secured confirmed donations or loans of materials for about 2/3rds of the total cost. Of course, we have setbacks.

The current one this week is that the hardwood deck company has told me that the timber they were giving me is not eligible to use as they cannot give me a CoC. So it's back to the computer and telephone (with the help of another very decent company who has supplied me with a list of possible people to talk to) to start the next round of persuasion.

Add that to the oak posts commitment looking a bit shaky too and that's a lot of sorting to do.

As I write this afternoon with hail showers belting against my office window, Macmillan's press department is due to contact me so we can launch The Healing Garden through their newsletter - no turning back now!

The extremely unglamorous photo in my rather chaotic greenhouse will probably be the one they will get as it's vile outside and I am at heart, a fair-weather gardener. I'm keeping costs down on the 'plant' side too and growing what I can myself, hence the photo although it is another daunting task and there's no room for error.

We grew a small amount of plants last year with the Spirits' Garden, but this is a different league and I would love the luxury of handing everything over to a specialist who will do it for free in return for publicity.

Anyway, we were back at Jennie's yesterday, wrestling with her extremely overgrown buddliea alternifola. Second picture shows you what middle-aged female gardeners get up to in a days work when they are trying to pull out a branch far enough to get a saw behind!! Not a pretty sight and the poor neighbours must have wondered what on earth was going on with all the raucous laughter, and huffing and puffing that was occurring.

Anyone know a hardwood deck company WITH a CoC that would be willing to ?.....................or an oak post supplier?................... or a plant grower?......................

Follow The Healing Garden through to fruition.

Comments

[julia]

Hi Jill
Jenny rang me this week with news of your venture. I feel a little overwelmed at my small part in this! needless to say ive bought some tickets to the show and look forward to meeting you again in somewhat happier circumstances.
Best Wishes
Julia (that macmillan nurse!)

[Jill Foxley]

Look forwrd to meeting you again Julia. see you next week.