Suffolk Rural College students transform garden for wheelchair user

Adrian and Louise Waterhouse-Taylor are now able to enjoy their new look garden in Felixstowe

A group of students have transformed a garden into an accessible haven for a man who lost the use of his legs.

Ten horticulture trainees from Suffolk Rural College have been labouring at Adrian and Louise Waterhouse-Taylor's home in Felixstowe in Suffolk.

Mr Waterhouse-Taylor said he was "delighted" with the upgrade and it would help him "carry on as before".

The students created a lawn, gravel and winter garden, a vegetable bed and a herbaceous border.

The garden before the work was carried out...

...work in progress...

... and nearing completion

Mr Waterhouse-Taylor, 64, said he had been unable to walk since January 2021 and was now looking forward to sunbathing in his garden, and spending time in the summer house.

The project was led by students Zibby Parker and Nicky O'Brien, both from Felixstowe, as Ms Parker has known Mrs Waterhouse-Taylor since she was five.

Ms Parker said: "Adrian has been through an awful lot in the last couple of years.

"I went to college and explained his situation and everyone on the course bought into it."

She said everyone wanted to help and it gave the students valuable gardening experience.

Zibby Parker (left), Adrian Waterhouse-Taylor and Nicky O'Brien, in his Felixstowe garden before the work had been completed

Mr Waterhouse-Taylor said: "I lost my foot four years ago and then I had a bad back in 2020.

"After collapsing at home I spent four months in hospital and lost the use of my legs after being diagnosed with an abscess on my spine. I was unlucky.

"I want the garden to have a similar feel to the rest of the house that allows me to carry on as before, as much as possible.

"I'm delighted with the garden and my wife and I are incredibly grateful to the Suffolk Rural team for their amazing efforts."

The couple paid for the work, with the manual labour being carried out by the students, assisted by their tutor Neville Stein.

"The way Zibby, Nicky and the rest of the class have embraced the work has been infectious," Mr Stein said.

Zibby Parker said it was a "collaboration between myself, Nicky, our tutor Neville, my classmates and Adrian"