Award-winning garden recycled and relocated next to the Thames in London Bridge City
Former RHS Chelsea Flower Show garden provides new green space in London Bridge City
A new urban pocket park beside the river Thames was revealed on 24 May. With striking pink, orange and red architectural features, the Putting Down Roots Garden in London Bridge City was originally Cityscapes’ award-winning entry in the RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2022. Having received a Silver Medal, the garden has been carefully relocated and repurposed in London Bridge City, on Morgan’s Lane and at King’s College London’s Guy’s Campus.
Designed to bring people and plants together in a tranquil, inclusive space, the pocket park in London Bridge City is a permanent reminder of the importance of green spaces to our health and wellbeing.
A tranquil setting bringing wellbeing benefits
Last year, landscape designer Darryl Moore of Cityscapes worked with the homelessness charity St Mungo’s to create one of the largest Chelsea Show Gardens at the world-famous flower show. The Garden displays the work of the St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots project as they help people recover from homelessness to develop their confidence, learn new skills and rebuild their lives. The garden celebrates 10 years of Cityscapes and St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots working collaboratively to transform lives, communities and places.
“Working with St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots has been an important relationship for Cityscapes over the past decade. Creating a garden showcasing this at RHS Chelsea Flower Show last year was a fantastic opportunity, and having it now embedded relocated at London Bridge City provides an enduring legacy that the public can enjoy.” – Darryl Moore, Cityscapes
The reconfigured garden highlights how people and plants can be brought together in a city environment, and the ways in which green spaces provide personal and social health and wellbeing benefits. Surrounded by nature's beauty, employees in London Bridge City and visitors to the estate now have the opportunity to take rejuvenating breaks, recharge their energy, and find solace in the midst of their workdays. The garden not only enhances the physical and mental well-being of office workers but also fosters a sense of community as colleagues come together, sharing conversations and creating lasting connections in this serene setting.
The textural foliage gives the garden a gentle sense of tranquility, contrasting with the vibrant colours in the pavilion, with planters, fencing and paving made from recycled materials, reclaimed wood and low-carbon concrete. Cityscapes’ creative and ecological approach promotes more sustainable ways of making parks and gardens.
The planting design creates an ecological plant community using layers of different heights. The choice of plants includes ferns and grasses interspersed with perennial plants, to thrive in the shady spots around the trees, creating a woodland-type setting beside the river.
London Bridge City and Team London Bridge are delighted to welcome the St Mungo’s Putting Down Roots’ Chelsea Garden to this iconic riverside site, just moments from Hay’s Galleria and London Bridge Station.
