A PIONEERING scheme to create a hospital garden, the envy of the UK medical profession, is under way in Okehampton ? and town residents are this week being urged to take part in the project.

As the May 22 opening day for Okehampton?s new hospital draws closer a new appeal is being launched to create a garden which will play its own part in the promotion of good health.

The amazingly successful £250,000 fundraising campaign to equip the hospital with state-of-the-art medical equipment and patient services has virtually been met, thanks to fantastic support from the local community.

Now the spotlight is turning on the grounds of the hospital.

The idea behind the gardens is that they should be an integral part of the healing process, with plants, art and sculpture designed to inspire patients and staff in a setting sympathetic to the landscape of northern Dartmoor.

There will be a special ?healing garden? within a central courtyard at the hospital, providing a place of tranquillity and peace for patients, visitors and staff.

Dr Paul Nielson, of Okehampton Medical Centre, said: ?We want to make it so there is a real feeling of trying to make sure the environment is part of the healing process.?

Dr Nielson said there was ?ample evidence? that a positive, natural environment could lessen hospital stays, decrease dependence on medication and speed the healing process.

A Tree for Life campaign is being started, whereby people can donate £10 to buy a tree or shrub to be planted in the hospital grounds.

Everyone contributing to the scheme will receive a landscape drawing of the site showing the position of their tree or shrub ? and with 2,500 specimens to be planted, residents can buy more than one if they wish!

A public meeting has been called for April 10 to launch the campaign, when the public can also see the plans for the environment surrounding the hospital and learn how the gardens will be built.

Special presentations will be made by the hospital architect, a garden designer and a healing garden expert.

Dr Nielson said a Japanese specialist is being flown to the UK to attend the meeting, thanks to the Johrei Society.

?They are a group based in London and Kyoto who promote the concept of holistic healthcare, using landscape, touch, the senses, herbalism, therapeutic massage and Western medicine,? he said.

They promote good health and have very high success rates,? said Dr Nielson, who has also had meetings with representatives from the Eden Project about the healing gardens.

?They came to see me last week and are going to help us ? it?s all very exciting,? he said.

And he urged as many people as possible to come along to the meeting to hear the exciting proposals for the hospital, which is also to hold pioneering new holistic health care clinics on a regular basis.

Karen Percival, Tree for Life appeal co-ordinator, said the campaign aimed to raise £100,000 to complete the planting scheme ? £25,000 has already been donated by Mid Devon Primary Care Trust for the ?hard? landscaping.

Karen hoped there would be a good turnout at the public meeting, the last in a series of events designed to involve the community as much as possible in the planning of the hospital.

She said Okehampton College was already actively participating in the garden proposals, in which GCSE and A level students were competing to produce a winning design for a sculpture in one of the open air courtyards.

She said the Tree for Life campaign would also like to hear from other people or organisations which would like to contribute to the garden design.

Karen said the new hospital and its grounds were going to be ?brilliant?.

The public meeting to discuss the new Okehampton Hospital gardens will take place in the Charter Hall, Okehampton at 7.30pm on Thursday April 10 ? all are welcome to attend