Blakedown Completes Landmark Garden Honouring Queen Elizabeth II

Blakedown Landscapes has completed construction of The Queen Elizabeth II Garden in The Regent's Park, London. The two-acre garden commemorates the life and legacy of the late Queen and was officially opened by Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal on 21 April, on what would have been Her Majesty’s 100th birthday.

The garden was designed by HTA Design and delivered in collaboration with The Royal Parks, transforming a former redundant plant nursery into a biodiverse, climate-resilient green space.

A main focus for the project was sustainability, with circular economy principles promoted to minimise waste, pollution and environmental impact. Crushed concrete from the demolition of the former glasshouses was used to create free-draining, low-fertility soils, resulting in an estimated 80% reduction in embodied carbon. This growing medium, developed by soil expert Tim O'Hare and The Royal Parks team, was trialled extensively ahead of construction to ensure planting success. The planting palette has been designed by renowned horticulturalist, Dr Noel Kingsbury, and includes many varieties that have a direct connection to Queen Elizabeth II. Additionally, all trees and plants were carefully selected for their ability to withstand climatic extremes, while also contributing to the garden’s achievement of a 184% net increase in biodiversity.

The project was technically demanding and included a sequence of linked swales that follow the natural fall of the site, a generous circular pond with an accessible platform extending over the water, a central promenade and roundel, a terrace and pergola incorporating salvaged steel from the former glasshouse structures, a main meandering pathway and a network of narrower informal paths, and the repurposing of an existing water tower into an accessible viewing platform and biodiversity habitat.

A strong focus for Blakedown was its social value commitment, which included practical on-site training sessions for students from Capel Manor College, supported placements for students from the Bankside Open Spaces Trust Future Gardeners programme, and the delivery of a new outdoor learning garden at St Paul's Primary School in Primrose Hill.

Chris Wellbelove, Managing Director of Blakedown Landscapes, said: "The Queen Elizabeth II Garden has been a commitment to what we as a company believe good landscape construction should be - enduring, sustainable and designed to be enjoyed. Our relationship with The Royal Parks spans more than 35 years, and this project is the best expression of that partnership. We are immensely proud to have played our part in creating a space that will be cherished for generations to come."

Darren Share, Director of Parks, The Royal Parks charity, said: "The Queen Elizabeth II Garden is a fitting tribute to Her Late Majesty's extraordinary life and legacy, and a wonderful new space for everyone to enjoy. We are pleased to have worked with Blakedown Landscapes to bring this vision to life, and we look forward to seeing the garden grow and change with the seasons - welcoming the millions of visitors we hope will make it their own."

The garden opened to the public on 27 April 2026 and is free to enter.

Images - Rosie Sayers and Blakedown Landscapes