The Children with Cancer UK Garden

The garden’s striking design represents the journey many families and children go through emotionally from diagnosis to treatment. This includes the resilience of families and children affected by cancer as well as the fears, worry and pain they experience. Clinical psychologist Dr Katie Hamilton has played an integral part of the design team having worked with children and their families living with cancer.

Set within Misterland, the home of the Mr. Men characters, the key theme is a split hill with iconic features from Mr. Men illustrations.

One side represents happy and the other worry. Bright shades of yellow and orange symbolise the feelings and emotions of happiness, and the shades of blue and purple symbolise the feelings of worry.

On one side a waterfall represents tears, and on the other side a light wall represents hope.

Children with Cancer UK is the only charity Diana, Princess of Wales ever inaugurated, having planted a tree in January 1988 in memory of Jean and Paul O’Gorman, who sadly fell victim to cancer within nine months of each other. A garden at Hampton Court was considered a fitting way to mark this occasion in the special 30th anniversary year of Children with Cancer UK.

Plant list