Written by Amanda David
Kew Gardens in London has opened one of its most ambitious garden projects in recent years: the Carbon Garden.
Through beautiful planting and innovative design, this new permanent garden brings to life the critical role carbon plays in sustaining life on Earth, communicates the scale of the climate crisis, and shares the extraordinary potential of plants and fungi to combat it.
What is carbon?
Quite literally ‘stardust’, carbon is the building block of life – it can be found in all living things. It exists in the air, it is dissolved into our oceans and rivers, it is found in organic matter in soils and is stored deep underground in sedimentary rocks and fossil fuels (99% of carbon on Earth is stored underground. However, the balance has been upset, and human activities are releasing too much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere, trapping heat and warming the planet. Plants and fungi are our natural allies in climate repair and hold the power to capture carbon and restore balance.
The Carbon Garden
A curated selection of herbaceous perennials take inspiration from Reading University’s climate stripes, illustrating the dramatic rise in global average temperatures over time. Plant highlights include Achillea ‘Moonshine’, ‘Paprika’ and ‘Red Velvet’, and Hydrangea serrata ‘Bluebird’. This powerful visual statement welcomes visitors into the garden alongside an exposed coal seam showing fossilized plants, highlighting the connection between plants and fossil fuels.
Delving into links between carbon emissions and climate change, a dry garden begins to showcase ways we can work together with plants to adapt to a changing climate. Here, drought-tolerant plants such as Parry’s agave (Agave parryi) and lavendar dominate, illustrative of the plants we might look to for London gardens in 30 years.
Nature offers hope through its extraordinary capacity to sequester and lock in carbon. 35 new trees have been selected for their resilience to projected future climate conditions. Trees play a critical role in helping urban areas adapt to climate change thanks to the myriad of ecosystem services they offer, including absorption of carbon dioxide, shade and shelter provision, and improvement of air quality by filtering out pollutants.
A rain garden illustrates ways we can manage water flow, prevent soil erosion, reduce flooding, recharge moisture into the soil and support moisture-tolerant plants that maintain soil stability and carbon storage. Grasslands, wildflower meadows and native hedgerows will boost biodiversity and lock in carbon, as biodiverse habitats are more resilient and better at storing carbon than monocultures.
Appearing to grow from the centre of the Carbon Garden as a symbolic fungal fruiting body is a pavilion designed by Mizzi Studio. Inspired by the symbiotic relationship between plants and fungi, the materials and structure have been modelled on biological processes, and the pavilion has been created using natural materials. A forward-tilted canopy directs rainwater into the rain garden, and the sheltered space will support school visits and community activities.
The Carbon Garden encourages visitors to become advocates for nature, highlighting actions we can all take in our everyday lives to support the health of plants and the planet.
Tickets: Entry to the Carbon Garden is free with a ticket to Kew Gardens: adult tickets are £25.00 at the gate or £22.00 online from February to October and £16.00 at the gate or £14.00 online from November to January. If you’re visiting between 1st May and 26th October you can bag a bargain ticket from 4pm for just £11.00 but please note that Glasshouses and Galleries close at 5pm.
Organisers may cancel events, alter schedules, or change admission requirements without notice. Always check official sites before heading to an event.
