Creating a dementia-friendly garden
Eight ways to make a garden more accessible for people living with dementia
For people living with dementia, gardens offer more than beauty – they provide a vital connection to nature and a sense of calm, familiarity and purpose.
With over 900,000 people estimated to be living with dementia in the UK – and 40% reporting loneliness – accessible green spaces are more important than ever. “In our lifetimes, most of us will know someone with dementia,” says Liza, co-author of Supporting People with Dementia: A Guide for Community Gardens. “We’ll all have to confront it at some point.”
Gardens can also offer much-needed respite for carers, while providing safe, social spaces that support physical and mental wellbeing. If you're considering adapting a garden for a loved one, garden designer Charlie Hawkes and Liza Griffin offer practical tips to help you get started.
1) Start with the individual
Spend some time figuring out the needs of the person you are adapting the garden for
Liza Griffin, who cared for her husband for many years, emphasises the importance of meaningful consultation:
“It’s about creating an environment where you can talk to people and take a person-centred approach,” says Liza.
If someone has recently been diagnosed, they may still have full awareness of their condition – so involve them early on. “Include the person with dementia and their carer, and make them feel part of the decision-making process,” Liza advises. Whether they want colour, movement, or the sound of water, the key is to listen.
“It might be about designing activities or providing a tranquil place where people can forget they are living with dementia and just enjoy being in the garden,” she adds.
2) Design with the future in mind
Garden designer Charlie Hawkes created an RHS Chelsea garden for people with rare forms of dementia
“By sticking to broad, inclusive principles, you can design a garden that continues to be accessible and engaging as the condition evolves,” says garden designer Charlie Hawkes.
For example, even if someone doesn’t initially experience visual impairment, consider using clear pathways, strong contrasts and low-glare surfaces to prepare for that possibility.
When designing The National Brain Appeal’s Rare Space Garden for the RHS Chelsea Flower Show, Charlie spoke with people affected by dementia to better understand what mattered most.
“I wanted to open up the garden to everyone,” he says. “So I drew out common themes to make it as inclusive as it could be.”
3) Create a clear, circular route
The National Brain Appeal’s Rare Space has one route through the garden
Avoid dead ends or multiple intersecting routes, which can cause confusion – especially for those with memory-led dementia who might not recall how they moved from one place to another. Keeping the garden level and easy to navigate helps promote a sense of calm and safety.
In The National Brain Appeal’s Rare Space Garden, Charlie applied these principles by creating distinct yet consistent seating areas.
“Each shelter had a bright colour at its edge to help differentiate it,” he explains. “So even though the garden was unified in style, each space had its own identity.”
4) Aim for a high contrast environment when designing for visual forms of dementia
Tulipa sprengeri, the last flowering tulip, was included in the RHS Chelsea garden for its bright red flowers
Charlie Hawkes recommends Rodgersia podophylla as it stands out from the rest of the planting due to its colour and leaf form
Keep the structure of the furniture simple as complex things such as armrests and seatbacks can make them less accessible for someone with a visual form of dementia.
A visual form of dementia called posterior cortical atrophy led the design for Charlie’s RHS Chelsea garden, The National Brain Appeal’s Rare Space.
“People with a visual form of dementia’s eyes can be working perfectly, but the bit of the brain receiving signal from their eyes doesn’t function as it should. This means that vision can fragment, and they can’t see properly; causing them to become confused,” says Charlie.
The part of your brain that is responsible for image recognition analysis differs from the part that’s associated with motion detection. Colour differentiation can be a retained strength, but motion detection can be one too.
Bright blue benches in The National Brain Appeal’s Rare Space
Include plants that follow the concept of contrast and simplicity so that they are visible to people with visual forms of dementia.
“The RHS Chelsea garden had a green base to keep it calm with a pop of colour from blue benches and plants such as Tulipa sprengeri. We added blocks of Rodgersia podophylla as visual anchors; it’s a bold plant with a chocolate tinge to its leaves. This helps it to stand out from the rest of the planting,” says Charlie.
5) Keep your loved ones safe
People are so different in their range of experiences and stages of dementia, so this is something that needs to be thought about on a case-by-case basis.
“You can’t plan for every eventuality, but you can speak to the person living with dementia and their carer and ask them what their needs are, rather than trying to plan everything,” says Liza.
6) Use all the senses
Create a rich and stimulating environment to support wellbeing
With dementia, you never know which of your senses might be impacted, so consider as many ways as possible of incorporating them into your garden.
“It could be through the sound of running water, or by including scented plants such as Phlox divaricata subsp. laphamii ‘Chattahoochee’ or Azalea ‘Daviesii’,” says Charlie.
7) Make it enjoyable for everyone
Have fun by doing activities together in the garden
Gardening can be a shared activity – whether reconnecting with past hobbies or discovering them for the first time. Some may have a deep-rooted love of gardening, while others might be new to it. Starting small helps.
“Begin with simple things like planting seeds in pots,” Liza suggests. “Choose something that grows quickly to give a sense of purpose. It takes patience and support, but you can really improve someone’s quality of life just by encouraging them to do a little something.”
8) Encourage community connections
Taking part in gardening activities can help people living with dementia to remember that they are more than their condition
“Dementia is experienced very individually,” says Liza. “Community gardens give people a sense that they are more than their condition.”
But to be truly inclusive, these spaces must be designed with care. That means offering dedicated times or quiet corners for people with dementia, and ensuring volunteers understand how to offer support with dignity.
“It’s not just the spatial design; it’s also about the environment,” Liza explains. “Are people aware of dementia? Have they been trained to treat people with respect? Is the place welcoming to a diverse range of people?”
This inclusivity is essential, particularly as dementia disproportionately affects some communities, such as Black and Afro-Caribbean populations.
Beyond community gardens, hospitals and GP surgeries are increasingly recognising the value of nature through green social prescribing, creating outdoor spaces for carers and patients alike. “These gardens are being recognised as vital places for restoration and respite,” says Liza.
For more information and support, visit the Alzheimer’s Society, Age UK, Dementia UK and Rare Dementia Support.
