Award-winning RHS Hampton Court Garden relocates to Leytonstone

A garden that won a silver award at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Show Festival has been relocated to Fred Wigg and John Walsh estate in Leytonstone. The garden, titled “The Garden of Renewal Nature’s Embrace” is designed around themes of biodiversity, sustainability and healing. 

Local resident and award-winning garden designer Giada Francois previously worked in the council’s Ground Maintenance team before starting her own freelance garden business Nettle Design. In keeping with its theme of sustainability, the garden's design makes use of sustainable building methods and is made of reclaimed and repurposed materials. Giada worked with the Housing service to find a suitable relocation of the garden once the RHS Show finished. Its installation required an eco-friendly redesign to fit into the new space.

Designer Giada Francois said: “The garden was designed with the intention of promoting healing and tranquillity. Gardening has lots of therapeutic benefits and can potentially enhance the quality of life for residents, creating a serene environment that contributes to overall physical and mental wellbeing.

“The garden required alterations to fit into the new spaces on the estate, plus the mini community library is a welcome addition encouraging everyone to share books and knowledge. It’s been great working with the housing service caretakers, contractors and most importantly the residents to recreate this garden. I believe showcasing this garden at a local level will help, inspire and motivate residents to prioritise green spaces and holistic wellbeing in their daily lives.

John Ruffy, Caretaker for the council and a resident on the estate, said “I’ve enjoyed helping Giada to relocate the flowers to the planters outside the towers. It’s already making such a difference in our community, as kids are coming up to me and saying how much they love the new books, and I’ve seen them check the bookshelves to see if any new ones have been added. However, I think my favourite area is the beautiful memorial seating area. Giada has done some amazing work; it is bringing life and colour to the estate. Thank you again Giada!”    

The garden titled “The Garden of Renewal Nature’s Embrace” was designed by Giada Francois, built by E.J.Lancaster Ltd and sponsored by Lancaster’s Garden Centre Beam Homes Ltd.