RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival

Lifestyle Gardens

The Health and Wellbeing Garden

Awards

  • Silver medal winner
  • People’s Choice Lifestyle / Conceptual / Changing World Garden

Did you know:

Designed by:
Alexandra Noble
  • Wellbeing is embraced in the medicinal, herbal and fragrant planting scheme that incorporates sage, Alchemilla, Ammi and fennel
  • A modern interpretation of a chamomile seat provides a deliciously scented place to rest while immersed in this gently meditative garden
  • Four multi-stemmed trees have a deliberately low canopy, while around them the planting rises to meet the lower branches creating a gently enveloping space

About the garden

This is a garden designed to encourage deep thinking via a continuous path with no start or end point. The visitor moves through the space, which is defined by motion rather than walls, without a destination. The aim of the garden is to slow one’s pace and mind and encourage a sense of being in the moment.

Along the path one can appreciate the filigree forms of umbellifers and gossamer fennel leaves. Awareness of subtleties such as plant movement in a breeze and petals backlit by the sun are heightened.

The layout of the garden is denominated by the path’s route, which loops and circles to contain a circular water trough and round of thyme. Hazy structure is provided by plants such as ammi and valerian while creeping thyme and camomile feature as delicately scented low-growing elements.

Thanks also to Jill Berelowitz.