Horticulture staff and students at Derby College have designed a garden representing multiple sclerosis as their entry to BBC Gardeners’ World Live.

More than 50 students have been involved in the design and building of the garden, which depicts the journey from diagnosis to life with the disease.

The garden will feature soft-flowering plants and spiky thistles to show the difference between good and bad days experienced by those living with MS, as well as a bridge and cave signifying the support available for sufferers of the condition.

Click to enlarge: the garden design

The college teamed up with the Multiple Sclerosis Society to design the garden, entitled ‘Journey to Hope’ (pictured left), which will be submitted to the annual gardening event for consideration.

“Following our gold award at last year’s BBC Gardener’s World Live we were keen to do something even more ambitious this year,” explained the college’s horticulture lecturer Mike Baldwin.

“Our goal is to raise awareness of the work of the Multiple Sclerosis Society and the challenges, anger, pain and frustration facing more than 100,000 people affected by the neurological condition in the UK.

“It is our biggest project for many years, but we are confident that the results will be striking.”

 

Main image: The college’s winning entry in last year’s event

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  1. K Spriggs

    I think this is an amazing project and look forward to seeing it on the show. As a person with MS I can understand the various parts in terms of MS and the process of being diagnosed.

    The work of the MS Society is so important to me and others who are going through or have already been diagnosed, the support they offer, in various forms, can be invaluable for those struggling, stumbling, through the process. Confusing medical terminology, symptoms and emotions are explained by the MS Society on their website and in publications.

    Thank you for your fantastic project and hope you receive an award you deserve