Mosaics created for revamped Bo'ness Hospital garden

Rhona Duffy has created four pieces, displaying different flowers, to complement new seating and planting being installed at the rear of ward one. The new look garden will be officially launched this summer.

Rhona was commissioned by the charity Bo’net – which is overseeing the garden project. She said: “The panels feature sunflowers, geraniums, hydrangeas and delphiniums – and use colours that people with dementia will find engaging.”

She added: “It’s been lovely getting this commission. It’s a wonderful project and the people involved are a real credit to the community.”

Maria Ford from Bo’net, said: “I came across Rhona’s creations and thought she would be perfect to deliver artworks for the garden. I’m thrilled with the final results and I hope patients and visitors will be equally pleased.

“The hospital is only a few yards from the line of the Roman Antonine Wall, so it seems appropriate that we’re using mosaics, which were loved by the Romans, to dress this space.”

In addition to the new artworks, the garden project is delivering:

new flower beds; new seating for patients and visitors; wheelchair accessible fruit and vegetable beds; a water fountain to attract birds into the garden; and storage space for garden tools and furniture.

Bo’net has been working with volunteers and the social enterprise Sustainable Thinking Scotland (STS) to deliver the project.

The works have been made possible thanks to an award of £15,000 from the Life Changes Trust, a Scottish charity supporting the empowerment and inclusion of people living with dementia and their unpaid carers. The Trust is funded by the National Lottery Community Fund.

Bo’ness Hospital, off Dean Road, was opened in 2004 and provides 40 inpatient beds for physically frail older people and those with mental health problems.

Follow the garden project at www.bonet.org.uk/garden.

The Bo’ness Networking Group was set-up to support the development of community organisations and make the area a better place to live and work.