The RNLI Garden

The RNLI Garden is a celebration of the history and modernity of this multi-faceted charity, which has been saving lives at sea for almost 200 years. Its design marries style hints from the organisation’s Georgian origins with contemporary design cues to reflect the forward-looking spirit of today’s Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

A classically inspired, green oak pavilion at the rear features carved lettering and turned columns. The structure is spliced by a contemporary, green oak arcade. A textural Purbeck stone path flows through deep and luscious borders.

The rich planting provides a celebration of texture, form and foliage and hundreds of flowering herbaceous perennials create a pastel palette of whites, blues and pinks. Large statement trees, including Ulmus parvifolia (Chinese elm) and Pinus sylvestris (Scots pine) hint at the traditional lifeboat-building materials used when the RNLI was formed in 1824. The result is a calm and confident garden that inspires inquisitiveness and provides space in which to reflect on the many elements of the RNLI’s lifesaving work.