The Enchanted Rain Garden

Inspired by a rainy garden in Manchester, this container garden is designed to thrive in wet conditions, influenced by UK forests whose lush foliage is energised and born out of the regularity of rainy weather. It features robust, deep green planting with waxy textures that glisten when wet, as well as ferns that hold raindrops in the soft spaces between their leaves.

Rough stone reclaimed planters speak back to the ancient forest’s true naturalistic form while also creating an ideal surface on which to grow moss, itself an integral part of the woodland ecosystem. A rain collection barrel also allows the storage and re-use of valuable rainwater in the absence of wet weather.

The overall narrative and design of this garden evoke the spirit of the UK’s northern cities, harnessing the magic of a rainy environment while talking more practically to the growing regularity of stormy weather we face as a result of climate change.