The Children’s Society Garden

The garden

The Children’s Society Garden is a nurturing sanctuary designed to offer teenagers a sense of safety, peace, and connection – a space to support emotional wellbeing in a world that can often feel overwhelming. Inspired by designer Patrick Clarke’s mission to restore optimism and hope in young people, the garden reimagines an urban landscape shaped in collaboration with teenagers, ensuring their voices are central to its design.

Discarded materials are reclaimed and transformed into beautiful, purposeful features. Overhead, a canopy of recycled steel rafters, inlaid with handcrafted glass, filters soft, dappled light – a symbol of resilience and the quiet strength found in moments of pause and support. 

The planting scheme echoes this story of renewal, with vibrant spring greens, buttery yellows, and rich purples chosen for their ability to thrive in challenging conditions. Together, these elements create a welcoming, restorative environment where teenagers can find safety, feel seen, supported and inspired.

Key plants

Resilient planting will grow in three zoned areas of the garden – sunny, transitional and shade. 

• Iris ‘Kent Pride’ brings bold, dramatic colour, beautifully contrasted by the soft yellow and white tones of Iris ‘Butter and Sugar’
• Cymbalaria muralis (toadflax), tucked into cracks and crevices, offers hidden jewel-like blooms and symbolises resilience in tough environments
• Asplenium trichomanes thrives in the garden’s shaded corners, adding texture and quiet beauty
• Dryopteris erythrosora introduces coppery tones that echo the weathered steel and copper used in the garden’s hard landscaping
• Gillenia trifoliata produces delicate, star-like flowers. A subtle nod to the often-unseen beauty within everyone

Plants supplier: Hortus Loci
Build support: Ayus Botanical

Sustainability notes

The garden’s design is deeply rooted in sustainability, with most hard materials recycled, reclaimed, or reused. The overhead steel framework, water rills, and tanks are made from repurposed materials, while boundary walls use recycled corrugated steel supported by FSC-certified timber and clad in reclaimed tiles. Pathways are formed from recycled gravel and stone off-cuts, with larger sections made from waste chippings. A mosaic feature wall incorporates hand-crafted recycled tiles, and reclaimed copper sheets edge parts of the water features. The furnishings and seating are crafted from fallen trees and waste timber.

The designer – Patrick Clarke

“If I can help The Children’s Society in any small way to have a positive impact on the mental wellbeing of young people across the UK, then every ounce of work which goes into the Chelsea garden and its relocation will be more than worth it,” Patrick Clarke.

Patrick is a leading UK landscape and garden designer with over 30 years of experience. Educated in landscape architecture, planning, and urban design at the University of Greenwich, UCL, and Oxford Brookes University, his work is informed by a deep understanding of the relationship between people and place. Raised in the Peak District, where he observed his father and grandfather transform a rough plot into a thriving garden, Clarke developed an early appreciation for the connection between nature and cultivation. His designs draw on local history and vernacular traditions, resulting in finely crafted landscapes that are both meaningful and enduring.

Hear from the charity – The Children’s Society

“UK teenagers are now facing what The Children’s Society has coined a "happiness recession," with more 15-year-olds feeling unhappy about their lives than in almost any other European country, and when a young person is struggling, the impact often touches the whole family. But it doesn't have to be this way. The Children's Society is dedicated to stepping in before problems spiral. With specialists who truly understand the issues young people are navigating and who can offer a trusted ear and expert guidance before life gets too loud. By reaching children early, before crisis hits, we can change the course of entire lives. Young people rediscover optimism. Families begin to feel supported. Communities start to thrive again. This garden is part of that story.”

Garden legacy

The garden will be relocated to a youth support centre in Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire which gives teenagers the time to talk, reflect and get the support they need without long waits or barriers.