A garden at Hinchingbrooke Hospital was officially declared open last week by BBC Songs of Praise presenter Pam Rhodes.

The Hunts Post: The patients' quiet garden at Hinchingbrooke HospitalThe patients' quiet garden at Hinchingbrooke Hospital (Image: KenChallenger)

The £30,000 project, which took 15 months to complete, was covered by fundraising.

St Ives-based Marney Hall, a gold medal winner at the Chelsea Flower Show and Hampton Court Flower Show, was commissioned to create and build the garden, which has a four seasons theme to ensure colour throughout the year.

It is next to the hospital chapel and the Reverend Scott Watts, Hinchingbrooke’s chaplain, wants to install seats which will also be paid for through fundraising. He said: “The garden has already proved to be a real refuge for many of our patients, relatives and indeed our staff.

“This is another example of where our community has helped support its local hospital via charitable funding which has enabled Marney’s designs to be brought to life.”

Mrs Rhodes, who lives at Biggleswade and worked for Anglia TV before joining the BBC, cut the ribbon at last Tuesday’s (October 8) ceremony with Hinchingbrooke chief executive Hisham Abdel-Rahman.

She said: “This garden is a valuable oasis of calm in what is a busy and professional environment.”