The immersive secret garden crafted by Ian Berry from denim located in the Garden Museum’s central Nave space, will delight adults and children alike. Walk through the denim garden path of this site-specific installation and visitors will find wisteria and vines dangling from pergolas, roses, alocasia, begonia, and cacti in shades of indigo, and a peaceful fish pond at the heart of the garden, all made with hand cut and crafted layers of recycled denim jeans.

Transforming denim cotton, a material made from plants, back into a new vegetal form, the installation will explore themes of sustainability in the textile industries and the importance of access to green spaces in the city for young minds.

At first glance, many believe that Berry’s work are blue toned photographs or indigo coloured oil paintings. Even at touching distance, many viewers don’t realise that they are looking at many layers, and shades, of denim jeans. Berry is originally from the town of Huddersfield, which once had a booming textile industry. He now lives and works in Poplar, East London. His work using denim, now such an urban fabric, after having such rural origins, has caught many eyes and his commissioned portraits include Debbie Harry, Jennifer Saunders, Giorgio Armani and Giselle, to name a few.

The Secret Garden will be viewable from the 13th of July until the 8th of September, as well as during a number of family and community events at the Garden Museum throughout the summer. An accompanying programme of activities and workshops for all ages inspired by the installation will be offered free of charge, including textile flower collage, denim rag rug, clay and felt cacti making and cyanotype printing.