Worthing dementia patient opens prestigious garden at RHS Chelsea Flower Show

Helena Clarke, 58, from Worthing, has a rare form of dementia called posterior cortical atrophy (PCA), that affects her vision and spatial awareness.

She and her husband, David, were invited along to the prestigious event to officially open the Rare Space Sanctuary Garden designed by Charlie Hawkes.

The garden was designed for The National Brain Appeal to help people with rare dementias enjoy an accessible and stimulating outside environment.

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The garden has around 2,000 plants and includes Hakonechloa macra, commonly known as Japanese forest grass, which has been chosen as the baseline fabric of the planting.

This eye-catching ornamental grass forms clumps of elegant arching foliage and can be easily maintained throughout each British season and the multi-stem form of the Parrotia persica in the garden provides defined, rather than broken, shade and contrast to help people living with rare dementias such as posterior cortical atrophy (PCA).

The level, textured path with minimal joints turns through the garden offers along its way brightly coloured benches and sheltered spaces for tranquil rest spaces to help those living with rare dementias.