Embroidered Minds Epilepsy Garden

Embroidered Minds, a cross disciplinary collaboration was instigated by Leslie Forbes and based around her researches and subsequent novel Embroidered Minds of the Morris Women which explores the tragic ‘conspiracy of silence surrounding William Morris’s family and Jenny’s experience of epilepsy as fiction based in facts.

Leslie died in July 2016 following an epileptic seizure but the collaborative project continues as she intended, to challenge ignorance of the condition today. The garden design was initiated by Leslie and old friend Kati Crome and realised by Kati, Leslie’s husband, and other members of the collaboration.

You can learn more about the Embroidered Minds project, including the Chelsea Artisan Garden on their website http://www.embroideredminds.co.uk/

The Chelsea Living Wall planting plan was designed in three distinct sections, representing different experiences of epilepsy, the calm pre-seizure mind, the chaotic brain state during seizure and unusual neural connections experienced after living with seizures for a long time. The vitality of the post-seizure section also reflects the hope of a brighter future for epilepsy sufferers and their families through greater awareness and understanding of the condition.

Throughout the garden and the living wall plants were selected that can be found in William Morris’s original designs as well as plants traditionally used in the treatment of epilepsy.

This was not the only Living Wall we installed at The Chelsea Flower show in 2017. To see the Living wall at the Rock Bank restaurant visit the portfolio page.