Sponsored by the Burma Skincare Initiative, Sanofi, the British Dermatological Nursing Group and The No. 7 Beauty Company, the garden is designed by Helen Olney, a graduate of the London College of Garden Design.
The challenging and disrupted environments in which the Burma Skincare Initiative charity works are symbolised by the part-ruined stupa, overgrown and reclaimed by foliage. Textures such as bark, plants, moss and lichen are illustrative of the skin diseases affecting people supported by the charity.
A traditional Burmese stilt house made from recycled timber with a thatched roof, sits above a pool offering views of a cascading waterfall. A dry-stone bench is inspired by the 28th letter of the Burmese alphabet, la, which together with its accent forms the word Lar, meaning ‘coming together’.
The naturalistic planting combines contrasting textures and constrained colours, while edible and ornamental plants are woven together. Not a hero plant in the UK, broadleaf plantain features in the garden to highlight its use in traditional Burmese medicine to treat skin conditions.
The garden build will be managed by Conquest Creative Spaces.