Design and concept

This garden has been thoughtfully designed by Rick Ford and created on behalf of Abigail’s Footsteps, intended to be a calming place where parents and families can sit together and seek contemplation when grieving the loss of a baby.

After the garden’s time at RHS Malvern Spring Festival it will be relocated to Rochester Cathedral in Kent.
Can you help support the relocation? Every penny will help us get the garden to it’s new home. Sustainability is very important, donations will go towards moving the garden to its new home, for everyone to enjoy.

Can you help donate towards our bereavement garden? Please visit our fundraising page if you can support this project.

Image credit: Simon Philpott 

The garden is a calming and contemplative space that seeks to offer support and comfort to parents that are searching for solace when faced with the monumental loss of their baby. Designed as a series of interconnected spaces, that reflect the transitions that parents experience, with a tranquil planting palette featuring soft textured and scented plants. The seating area provides privacy and a feeling of enclosure to enable parents to feel at ease when managing their grief.

Raised beds, filled with tactile and fragrant planting sit next to reflection pools to further enhance the feeling of security and calm. Clipped topiary nestle amongst the planting as well as multi-stemmed birch and specimen multi-stemmed Amelanchier.

The small pavers, representing the small steps that parents initially take, make way to the larger smooth sawn paving, interplanted with soleirolia, representing the gradual acceptance and glimpses of hope for the future.

Funds raised went towards an Abi cooling cot to donate to a local bereavement suite at Worcester Royal Hospital.

Thank you to all the suppliers that generously donated materials, to bring this wonderful space together.

This beautiful sculpture, the ‘Broken Heart’ was on display in the garden, made by the talented  Paul Burton.

Vice President Cheryl Baker met with garden designer Rick Ford, to learn more about the design and concept.

Abigail Bear enjoyed her time meeting the 160,000+ people that visited across the 4 day event in Malvern.

As part of the big move we will be welcoming volunteers to get involved, it’s a great opportunity to part of this special project in our community, if you would like to give us a helping hand, please email events@abigailsfootsteps.co.uk so we can keep you posted.