Hampton Court Palace unveils climate-resilient garden

Plans for a climate-resilient garden at Hampton Court Palace have been unveiled by the charity that cares for the Tudor building.

Historic Royal Palaces is hoping the new planting scheme in the Great Fountain Garden will feature almost 300 species across 32 planted beds and borders, each selected for their climate resilience, biodiversity value and long seasons of interest.

The aim is that once established, the planting will require little irrigation, the charity said.

It will be led by award-winning garden designer Ann-Marie Powell. She said: "Our design is about reimagining beauty through the lens of sustainability, resilience, and biodiversity."

"We're not just planting for visual impact—we're planting for pollinators, for changing weather, for longevity. Every plant has a purpose and a place," Ms Powell added.

The Great Fountain Garden was first laid out between 1689 and 1696 by King William III and Queen Mary II and featured lime tree avenues and sculpted yew topiary.

It was simplified under Queen Anne and was transformed again under Queen Victoria, whose gardeners introduced annual bedding and herbaceous borders in keeping with 19th-century fashion.

Historic Royal Palaces also plans to establish a National Collection of purple coneflower, or Echinacea Purpurea, across the palace grounds, featuring more than 60 varieties.

Alex Wigley, head of parks and gardens at Historic Royal Palaces said: "This garden honours centuries of Royal horticulture while setting a bold new benchmark for sustainability.

"With low-water requiring species and smarter layouts, it's designed not just to endure, but to thrive—supporting biodiversity, inspiring visitors, and helping us reach our goal of being nature-positive and carbon net zero by 2050."

From Tuesday, a range of planting will be on display at the palace for the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival.

Planting in the Great Fountain Garden is expected to begin in the autumn.