The Wildlife Garden RHS Hampton Court 2023

The RHS invited Jo and team to create a wildlife sanctuary for RHS Hampton Court. The garden was inspired by the idea of an ‘accidental’ landscape and is imagined as an urban corridor reclaimed by nature. The garden shows how wildlife can naturally thrive in what are often thought of as unexpected, unlikely and forgotten places: the landscapes in-between.   

The garden is bounded by a hawthorn hedge – a star species for wildlife. Hawthorn’s spring blossom provides food for pollinators, while its spiky branches act as an ideal nesting spot for birds. Its bright red berries are an important food source in the winter months.  Other plants include Angelica sylvestris ‘Vicar’s Mead’, Gleditsia triacanthos ‘Sunburst’, Campanula lactiflora ‘Loddon Anna’ and Achillea millefolium. 

Photography: Anna Omiotek-Tott