A secret garden dedicated to Queen Elizabeth II has been unveiled in Regent's Park, London, offering a vibrant and modern memorial to the late monarch. The garden, which will open to the public at the end of next month, was a project the Queen was informed about during her lifetime and is said to reflect her love of nature and the Commonwealth.
The two-acre site, previously an unsightly nursery covered in industrial glasshouses, has been transformed into an undulating space that feels 'light, unstuffy and surprisingly modern'. Unlike traditional English gardens, it features plants from across the Commonwealth, chosen to provide year-round interest. Autumn visitors, for example, will see sky-blue plumbago from South Africa and Australian 'silky oak'.
Benches made from New Zealand Accoya wood include 'bumscoops' – gentle indentations for comfort. The garden's design incorporates crushed concrete from the old yard to replicate Mediterranean conditions, allowing plants like lavender and rosemary, which the Queen loved, to thrive.
Wesley Kerr OBE, a former Royal Parks trustee who helped drive the scheme, said: 'We all know how much the Commonwealth meant to Her Majesty. So we needed the garden to be resilient in all weathers.' The garden will feature on BBC's Gardeners' World on April 17 before its public opening.
