A new garden will be created in Regent's Park to commemorate Queen Elizabeth II.
The disused plant nursery currently smack-dab in the middle of the Royal Park will be transformed into a two-acre garden 'commemorating the life and work' of the late monarch. The Queen loved her horticulture, and was a regular attendee of the Chelsea Flower Show.
The plans — masterminded by HTA Design LLP, who worked on the beautiful Bexhill-on-Sea Promenade — involve demolishing the existing greenhouses, before re-landscaping the space with a blend of formal and informal designs, reflecting the various styles of the surrounding park. There'll be rambling paths, a meadow, a circular contemplative seating area, hedgerows, woodland, a flower garden and a pergola. A wildlife pond will have a small jetty protruding into it, while an old water tower could be turned into a viewing platform and wildlife refuge.
Plants significant to the Queen's life are promised; expect Lily of the Valley to appear somewhere — they were her favourite.
Some of the language used in the proposal might make anti-monarchists a tad queasy, for instance, a straight path, which "represent[s] the late Queen’s unwavering loyalty and service." Surely everyone can get on board with the boost to the area's biodiversity. Royal Parks says the garden will be incredibly welcoming to wildlife, and feature a 'vibrant year-round horticultural display'.
The garden has now been granted planning permission, and should open to the public in 2026, in time to mark what would have been the Queen’s 100th birthday.
Following the death of the monarch in 2022, there's predictably been a spate of things honouring her in the capital, including a statue of her, unveiled outside the Royal Albert Hall in November 2023.
It was almost 20 years ago that the Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain was opened in Hyde Park, by Queen Elizabeth.
Regent's Park isn't the only Royal Park undergoing a glow-up; major work is taking place in Greenwich Park, where giant steps are being carved into the side of the hill.
