Tough as Old Boots Garden

The border 

As climate unpredictability increases, plant choices become more important and exciting than ever. Based on a study tour the designers undertook in 2024, this raised bed aims to surprise people about what can grow in an urban setting.

Bright purples and yellows with contrasting leaf forms and varied heights create visual interest. All plants draw inspiration from Mediterranean and dry steppe climates, from the elegant tree Heptacodium miconioides to the structural umbellifers of Angelica sylvestris.

Behind them, rubble walls built from reclaimed construction waste offer habitat niches for nesting bees and other invertebrates. At the centre, an ephemeral pond is planted with Nymphaea alba, whose large floating leaves and showy blooms cool the pond and reduce evaporation. Given the growing importance of urban ecology, this design emphasises that our landscapes must adapt and be tough as old boots.

Key plants supplied by Cliffbank Nursery

About the designers – Zac Willitts and James Horne

Zac is emerging as a topographically sensitive landscape designer, recycling materials onsite for planting substrates. He works with a variety of natural and construction waste materials to create or eco-mimic open mosaic habitats. With a keen interest in ecologically sensitive urban green space design, he works by considering interactions between humans, plants and other organisms as our climate changes.

James works in London, designing spaces for both people and nature, and has a particular interest in climate‑resilient wild landscapes with dry, steppe‑inspired planting, abundant with wildlife.

The garden legacy

The garden will be relocated to the Root Cafe, All Saints Green in Norwich.