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Subaru UK & Ireland And Mike McMahon Studio Present 'The Subaru Cocoon' Garden At RHS Hampton Court Palace Festival
Subaru UK & Ireland is preparing to present 'The Subaru Cocoon' garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival 2025, scheduled from 1st to 6th July. This installation, crafted by award-winning designers Mike McMahon and Jewlsy Mathews, highlights the endangered temperate rainforests of the UK and Ireland. These ecosystems once covered 20% of Britain but now account for less than 1%, making them one of the most threatened habitats.
The Subaru Cocoon garden aims to draw attention to this environmental crisis by reimagining a traditional walled garden as a sanctuary of protection and ecological memory. The display will be prominently located within the historic grounds of Hampton Court Palace. Over six days, more than 140,000 gardening enthusiasts are expected to visit the festival in west London, enjoying various garden designs, floral displays, and family-friendly activities.
The Subaru Cocoon garden reflects Subaru's dedication to sustainability and responsible movement. It aligns with Subaru's commitment to exploring responsibly through innovations like the zero-emission all-wheel-drive Subaru Solterra. The garden serves as a refuge that treads lightly on the land, prioritising harmony with nature while minimising impact.
At its core, both Subaru and the garden share a belief in elegant design that enhances living while maintaining awareness and beauty. Lorraine Bishton, Managing Director at Subaru UK & Ireland, stated: "The Subaru Cocoon' garden at the RHS Hampton Court Palace Garden Festival supports our commitments to safety and sustainability, whilst showcasing this beautiful but threatened native habitat."
The garden features a striking curved Jali wall made from 4,500 Kenoteq K-Briqs. These innovative building materials are composed of over 95% recycled construction waste and emit 95% less carbon than traditional bricks. The Jali wall doubles as an 'insect hotel,' supporting microhabitats across the site.
This sustainable approach has diverted 9.45 tonnes of construction waste from landfill and saved nearly 2,000 kg of CO₂ emissions—equivalent to what 80 mature trees would absorb in a year. This innovative approach follows Mike McMahon Studio's RHS Chelsea Gold Medal-winning garden in 2024.
Celebrating Biodiversity
The planting scheme exclusively features native species from the UK and Ireland, including thirteen fern species, Silver Birch, and Scots Pine. These plants are structured in forest-like layers to celebrate Britain's rich biodiversity. A reflective water threshold symbolically cleanses visitors as they enter a cool landscape filled with texture and shadow.
Cantilevered fallen tree trunks hover above the wall, planted with native epiphytes in a bold interpretation of the forest’s "chop-and-drop" cycle. This cycle allows decaying wood to return nutrients to the soil. Mike McMahon commented: "The UK and Ireland's temperate rainforest is a landscape that's both ecologically rich and tragically overlooked."
Legacy Beyond the Festival
After the festival concludes, plans are in place to repurpose 'The Subaru Cocoon' garden for Horatio's Garden charity. This ensures that it continues inspiring people beyond the event while nurturing wellbeing. Sustainability is embedded in every decision made for this project—from using zero concrete to ensuring all elements are reusable or relocatable once the show ends.
"This type of installation has never been created at Hampton Court Palace before; it felt like the right moment," said Mike McMahon about highlighting fragile epiphytes thriving in endangered environments.
Subaru vehicles are designed with safety as a priority; each model offers advanced safety features standardly fitted. Known for their capabilities on any terrain due to innovative technology like permanent All-Wheel Drive (AWD), Subarus have earned reputations for rugged reliability since 1954.
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