Queen Mother's Garden
The brief from Breckland Council was to redesign the existing Queen Mother’s garden in the town of Dereham that opened in 1983 and had become tired and underused.
The economic viability of the Dereham relies on attracting people into the town centre to support businesses and services. Queen Mother’s garden was seen as a potentially attractive destination, one that may encourage people to spend longer in the town, which would add to the vibrancy attractiveness of the place.
The layout of the garden involved studies on visibility, i.e. ensuring views across the space to avoid the feeling of entrapment and balancing this with the desire to create more intimate spaces for quiet reflection. The flowing nature of the main path and the plantings with the avoidance of sudden changes of direction is restful with a natural feel. Open areas are included to permit musical events and performances. In this way a wide range of activities across a wide range of age groups may be accommodated.
A series of interlocking circles was designed to unify the scheme that had to accommodate some existing trees and link the multiple entry points that lead to the town centre and the adjacent Meeting Point that provides support to the elderly and disabled. Structural geometric blocks of clipped evergreens are offset with more exuberant planting of flowering shrubs and perennials chosen for their sensory qualities and wildlife value.
The garden opened in March 2023.