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A Crohn’s Disease¹ inspired garden called ‘Facing Fear: Finding Hope² in support of Crohn’s and Colitis UK’³ will be on display at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Flower Shower Tatton Park from 20-23 July 2017.

After nearly losing her son Callum four years ago when he was just 23, to Crohn’s disease, determined mother Denise Shields wanted to do something significant to raise money and awareness of this debilitating condition.

Raising a six-figure sum and securing over thirty partners and sponsors single handedly, amateur gardener Denise masterminded the beautiful ‘Facing Fear: Finding Hope’ Crohn’s and Colitis UK garden, which will be on display at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Flower Shower Tatton Park from 20-23 July 2017.

Enlisting the help of talented garden designers Rory Tompsett and Peter Hulland, the garden provides a powerful representation of an individual’s emotional journey through illness and remission. A full description can be found in the attached.

As part of this, wood-carver Simon O’Rourke (www.treecarving.co.uk) donated a carved redwood canopied chair, ‘Alone’, a place to retreat and hide away when, during the ‘Facing Fear’ stage of the emotional journey, the impact of tiredness and emotional and physical stress becomes overwhelming.

Simon O’Rourke is a woodcarver, based just outside of North Wales, who creates sculptures that beautifully compliment their surrounding and enhance gardens, homes, and public or commercial spaces. Simon works with waste timber or standing stumps, and uses a variety of power tools and hand tools. 

See the special Crohn's Garden website

1. Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis are the two main forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD). These chronic conditions can cause ulceration and inflammation in the colon (Ulcerative Colitis) or any part of the digestive system (Crohn’s Disease). Symptoms can include diarrhea (often with blood), severe pain, extreme fatigue, and dramatic weight loss. This means 1 in 210 people are living with these unpredictable, life-long and potentially life-threatening conditions.

2. Crohn’s and Colitis UK is the national charity leading the battle against Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis fighting to achieve a better quality of life for the 300,000 people in the UK suffering physically and emotionally due to these and other forms of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

See the Crohn’s and Colitis UK website

Crohn’s and Colitis UK aims to improve life for everyone affected by Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD) - the main forms being Crohn's Disease and Ulcerative Colitis.  Established in 1979 as a partnership between patients, their families and the health professionals caring for them, the charity’s services include four information and support services, a wide range of accredited publications and a nationwide network of groups.  With 32,000 members the charity also campaigns for improved health and social provision for patients and awards medical research grants annually.

A charity registered in England Number 1117148, Scotland Number SC038632

Lifelong chronic conditions, Crohn’s Disease and Ulcerative Colitis, collectively known as IBD, can cause urgent and frequent diarrhoea, rectal bleeding, pain, profound fatigue and anaemia.  In some patients, there is an associated inflammation of the joints, skin, liver or eyes.  Malnutrition and weight loss are common, particularly in Crohn’s Disease.