Show garden legacy: Royal Entomological Society Garden

In 2023 Tom Massey’s Silver-gilt medal-winning design was a hugely successful garden with show visitors impressed by its ‘insect-eye’ laboratory and pollinator

Anything that moves pollen e.g. from one flower to another. Insects such as bees are important pollinators.

-friendly planting.

The relocated garden is just as popular with families and insect lovers, promoting education around biodiversity

The variety of living organisms (plants, animals, fungi and microorganisms) in a particular environment. Boosting the biodiversity of your garden has many benefits, including supporting wildlife, improving soil health and reducing the likelihood of pest and disease problems.

, sustainability and entomology for all ages in its new home in Newham. Its relocation in 2024 has been funded by Project Giving Back, Lendlease, SHIFT, and Royal Entomological Society (RES) supporters. The garden is managed by the Lendlease estates team .

The garden in its new location

The garden supports educational courses for children and adult learners, particularly through its centrepiece laboratory, inspired by an insect eye and designed as a hub for education and interaction

Tom Massey showed the Princess of Wales and children from local schools around the garden at RHS Chelsea 2023

The garden not only offers an educational experience but also showcases the vital role of insects in urban environments. Featuring diverse plantings and habitats made from sustainable materials, the garden promotes biodiversity and provides year-round resources for pollinators and other beneficial insects.

"Stratford Cross is a fantastic example of how it’s possible to deliver a sustainable built environment that prioritises benefits for both people and nature."

Tom Massey, garden designer

Tom Massey, designer of the garden welcomed the relocation to a city “The vast majority of the UK’s population live in urban areas, so we must consider brownfield sites as important for biodiversity as more rural locations. Stratford Cross is a fantastic example of how it’s possible to deliver a sustainable built environment that prioritises benefits for both people and nature. It is great to see the garden come to life in its permanent home as a platform for The Royal Entomological Society to raise awareness of insects and their importance in the global environment and to welcome families and young people to enjoy the garden.”

The Aardman Bug Hunt trail was enjoyed in the garden from July 2024 to 2025 and there were over 700 interactions with the app over the year. The RES ran a family event on the garden during Insect Week in June 2025 that around 300 people attended. It included activities about the importance of insects, and bug hunts.

The RES also ran a two day session in August 2025 for the East Summer School on insects and green spaces, attended by a group of 15 young people (12-14 year olds) who took part in activities on the garden. A schools programme with practical outdoor sessions is held in the RES Insect Garden, via its education partner the Field Studies Council. The aim is that the garden will grow to have at least 140 dedicated entomological teaching sessions per year to school children by 2029.

Newham Council has also been using the garden as a focus for its biodiversity courses.