The Defra Biodiversity Garden

Mary Reynolds took the 2002 Chelsea Flower Show by storm with her stunning Celtic garden which won a coveted gold medal. One of the youngest designers there, she captivated visitors with her atmospheric design and use of water, stone and natural planting.

In 2003, she was commissioned by Kew, in association with Defra (the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs), to create a new showcase garden for the summer 'Go Wild' Festival, with its design based on principles of enhancing biodiversity.

‘Come away! O human child, to the waters and the wild’

Her Defra Biodiversity garden for Kew was inspired by ‘The Stolen Child’, a poem by W.B. Yeats. The poem summons up a magical landscape of woods, springs, trees and islands, shared with water voles, herons, trout and mice. The garden takes the form of an island in a lake, framed by trees and planted with native aquatics and marginal plants. It is approached by a winding path, marked by sentinel stones and leading to a protected central space, evoking a strong sense of reconnection with the natural world and an awareness of its fragility.

Virtual Tour: Defra Biodiversity Garden

The garden demonstrates the subtle beauty of our native plants. They support a huge diversity of life and are perfect for the lazy gardener as they tend to look after themselves.

The purpose of the garden is to promote awareness of the importance of biodiversity to a healthy environment. This is achieved by combining indigenous plants and sensitive landscaping. All the plants in the garden are either native or naturalised British species and the materials used are all British sourced. The biodiversity garden is no longer at Kew, but can be seen on the virtual tour.

Defra

The biodiversity garden was part-funded by Defra, Kew’s sponsoring government department, which funds a wide range of initiatives to support biodiversity in the UK, including the flagship agri-environmental schemes, Countryside Stewardship and Environmentally Sensitive Areas. Through Environmental Action Fund (EAF) grants, Defra also supports 23 groups carrying out projects promoting biodiversity across England.

Defra is responsible for promoting the importance of biodiversity in building a sustainable environment.

But everyone - Government, business and you - has a direct role to play in managing the environment.

Continue the tour

Back up to: Western Zone

Carry on to: Student Idea Gardens