Looking at headlines of the climate crisis, it can be all too easy to feel like there’s nothing we can do to make a difference. But London’s Kew Gardens is here to help change that. The team at the U.K. landmark is opening a new permanent garden that will offer a tangible (and beautiful) example of how to tackle climate change with nature.
The Carbon Garden, debuting in July, draws on research to show why carbon is vital to life on Earth through intentional displays such as a dry garden and fungi-inspired pavilion. It will also include climate-resilient trees, drought-resistant plants, and wildflower meadows, all to highlight how plants and fungi act as “our natural allies in climate repair,” per a press release.
Richard Wilford, who is designing the Carbon Garden, explained that it presents a “unique opportunity to showcase our ongoing research, combining scientific insight with thoughtful design and beautiful planting.”
Another of the garden’s highlights will be a striking display of herbaceous perennials. Its design is inspired by the climate stripes, a graphic created in 2018 featuring a series of vertical bars that progress from blue to red to symbolize the increase in global temperatures over the past 200 years. An exposed coal seam showing fossilized plants will run alongside the perennials to demonstrate the impact of fossil fuels on vegetation.
But the garden’s main objective isn’t to create fear — it’s to educate visitors on “the extraordinary potential of the natural world” in combating the climate crisis. That’s where the dry garden comes in. Containing drought-tolerant and Mediterranean greenery, it will offer insight into how humans can work with plants to adapt to climate change. The site will also showcase a rain garden and bioswale, highlighting how we can reintroduce water into the ground and support moisture-tolerant plants.
“We are particularly excited that this garden will not only showcase Kew’s research but will also serve as a hub for learning, demonstrating how collective action can drive real environmental change,” said Rachel Maidment, manager of Biffa Award Grants, an organization helping fund the project.
The star of the show may be the central pavilion, which is inspired by fungi and will be built using low-carbon materials. Complete with a sloping overhang that will allow rainwater to trickle into the rain garden, it will be a hub for individual visitors as well as school and community groups.
The Carbon Garden may breathe new life (literally) into London’s largest UNESCO World Heritage site. While Kew Gardens, created in 1759, currently boasts vast and historically significant botanic collections, its buildings largely reflect architectural styles from the past — but the new garden plans to shift a sliver of that focus forward with its innovative design.
Wilford added: “We hope the Carbon Garden inspires visitors to act and join us in shaping a more sustainable, resilient future for life on our planet.”
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