Inspired by the musical and the traditional African Boma which is a protected meeting place, Sargaents design is one of a community garden, surrounded by dry hedge, offering a protected sanctuary for visitors to sit and reflect on their own journey through the ‘Circle of Life’.
The circle motif is incorporated throughout the garden to create balance and harmony. The dusty red soil is planted with swathes of resilient grasses with vibrant, drought-tolerant flowers, echoing the bright colours seen in the production. The walls of the Boma enclosure are constructed using Sussex coppiced wood and the garden features a selection of climate resilient cultivars and drought tolerant trees.
Know for using gardens to tell stories and engage people in a wide variety of artistic and social narratives, Juliet Sargeant is a Sussex-based designer with awards from The Society of Garden Designers, RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival and RHS Chelsea Flower Show. In 2016, Sargaent designed the Modern Slavery Garden for the RHS Chelsea, for which was she awarded gold and the People’s Choice award. Sargaent is a regular tv presenter, often seen on Gardeners World and RHS Chelsea Flower Show coverage and she is also an RHS show garden judge.
“My interest in people-orientated gardens started with my psychology studies and how people respond to the spaces that they inhabit. Now my designs are all about how gardens can improve the way that people feel. Gardens can be an artistic medium and show gardens, especially are all about story-telling. That is why I am so excited to be working with the Lion King team; to use plants to bring this amazing story to garden-lovers. Garden shows and theatre shows are similar in that so much of the work happens behind the scenes and goes unlauded. The Lion King Garden is a fantastic opportunity to celebrate and thank the many talented people
whose creativity has entertained fans for the last 25 years”, explains Sargaent.
The garden will be constructed by GardenLink.