Winter Garden, Dorset County Hospital

The Winter Garden

Public Art Commission – Dorset County Hospital, Dorchester. Commissioned by Arts in Hospitals and curated by Suzy Rushbrook.

The Winter Garden is a place to pause, breathe and reconnect with nature. A space to step away from the rhythms of the hospital, to feel the air and wind on your face, watch the shifting light and shadows, look towards the open sky, and find a moment of stillness in the natural world.

We are delighted to be working with Dorset County Hospital on this special commission, as part of the hospital’s new Emergency and Critical Care facilities. Created to support patient rehabilitation, families and critical care staff, the Winter Garden offers an opportunity to bring nature into the heart of the hospital - creating a place of respite, reflection and renewal at times when it is needed most.

At the heart of our work is a simple question: What is it about nature that brings us hope, joy or a sense of peace?

It might be sunlight filtering through leaves, the sound of rain, the first signs of spring, a favourite tree, or the memory of a place where we have felt connected to the world around us. These small, deeply personal experiences can offer comfort, grounding and a sense of possibility, even in the most challenging of circumstances.

We want the Winter Garden to grow from these shared experiences. Through conversations, memories, images and reflections gathered from patients, families and hospital staff, we are exploring how the natural world might be brought into this space in ways that feel meaningful, restorative and alive.

Our hope is to create a garden that offers more than a view outdoors: a place to notice the changing seasons, to feel a little closer to the world beyond the hospital walls, and to find moments of beauty, calm and connection.