Designed by Naomi Ferrett-Cohen
This artistic garden recognises the simple pleasure of gathering outdoors and the restorative effect that nature can have on us. The motif of the circle underpins the design, expressed through a twisting path, unfolding foliage and sculptural forms that awaken a sense of childlike discovery.
Visitors are invited to venture down the path into a surreal environment of interactive tree-like structures that hug the space. Created by kinetic artist Lucy Gregory, the sculptures draw on the energy and rhythm of The Dance by French painter Matisse, which represents figures lost in the moment within the landscape. As visitors push the steel sculptures into motion, they trigger a joyful, spiralling dance that gradually settles into a playful, almost slapstick wobble as momentum fades.
The planting brings warmth and vibrancy to the space, with a colourful palette that complements the bold backdrop. This ensures that sculpture and planting exist in dynamic balance, each heightening the presence of the other.
An invitation to step into movement, reconnect with nature and engage with those around us, the garden transforms the viewer into a performer intertwined with the work itself. It encourages us to recall the universal pleasure of walking through a meadow, trailing fingers through long grasses.
