Designing the future

“A fun garden with an important message and innovative ideas”

Meet Ruth Holmes from The Royal Parks, the lovely lady who’s designed London Wildlife Trust’s Future Garden.

“It was great to be invited to work with London Wildlife Trust again after the success of the Garden in a Skip project last year. The Royal Parks supports London Wildlife Trust's gardening campaign and encouraging people into horticulture. The brief was really interesting as how climate change will impact on wildlife is very much on the agenda. The Trust were very clear that they are looking towards the future, and want to encourage positive action by Londoners to promote biodiversity.

Strong shapes and structure

“Initially I was interested in a classical look for the garden but then started looking at a more positive technological age which took us back to the 1950s. The aesthetic is quite challenging as much of the garden will be constructed by volunteers/apprentices, which means the art pieces are very important elements in the design.

"The garden was designed to incorporate recycled materials and items constructed from found objects. The use of strong geometric shapes and strong structure will be countered by the soft planting designed by London Wildlife Trust's expert gardener, Elaine Hughes.

Why the 1950s?

“The clean lines, shiny surfaces, primary colours and geometric shapes, that can be seen in 1950s design, were often inspired by nature, things like honeycombs, beetles and butterflies. The 1950s seemed to fit the aspirations of London Wildlife Trust, as well as producing a fun, interesting aesthetic.

“The materials used in the garden have to be sustainable, whether they are reused, recycled, easy to maintain and look after or able to cope with the effects of climate change. The planting has to be wildlife friendly which is why London Wildlife Trust’s gardening expertise is so vital. The colours are generally primary to fit with the 1950s theme.

Gardening on a small scale

“Working with a constrained space often creates the most interesting and satisfying design solutions. It is a realistic size of a small London garden which would be mainly viewed from the house. I hope that we will demonstrate that you can have a playful approach to design while showing some practical solutions to urban gardening. It certainly is very different to working on large scale projects in the Royal Parks!

Gardening tips to take away

“Elements such as the habitat wall can be taken away but on a smaller scale. Small ponds and bird feeders can be incorporated into very small gardens. The garden shows a range of planting ideas and tips for encouraging sustainable and wildlife friendly gardening practices.”