Carers Garden

The Carers Garden, officially opened by Her Royal Highness The Princess Royal on Thursday 18th September 2003, is the first Carers Garden, not only in Scotland, but in the UK as a whole. Below are pictures of the day and text provided by Moira Steinbach.

Moira Steinbach, who led the Carers Garden Project, is Carers Support Worker for North East Aberdeenshire. Moira worked closely with staff from Aberdeenshire Council in the design and layout of the garden. The garden has been designed to have colour all year round and features dazzling flowerbeds, arbours, brightly coloured ironwork insects, a central sculpture and mosaic. The Carers’ Garden has been created as a place where carers may enjoy peace and tranquillity, or meet others who may be experiencing similar circumstances.

The garden is also a place where members of the public may learn about carers while enjoying the garden and its unusual features. In addition to providing information, advice and support to individual carers, part of Moira’s role is to raise awareness of carers and carers’ issues, which has been addressed by placing informative signs around the garden.

Jan  Wells, Centre Manager of the VSA Carers Centre, is also a sculptor in her spare time. Anyone who knows Jan is aware that time is a scarce commodity in her life but she was still able to find time to create the sculpture that draws you into the garden.

Visitors will be entranced by the vividly decorated insect sculptures which feature ants marching across a flowerbed and ladybirds creeping up walls. The insects were designed and made individually by Just Bohemian and painted by young carers from throughout the area.

A mosaic created by artists Jonathon Claxton and Karen Laing will be made with 55,000 pieces, each piece representing a carer in the Grampian area. Three mosaics are planned to encircle the raised bed area of the garden and are due to be completed by the end of the year. One of the first pieces was placed by HRH The Princess Royal.

The Carers Garden has been created thanks to the goodwill of organisations, businesses and individuals from throughout Aberdeenshire