A national award-winning sensory garden designed by Leith resident Luke Coleman is set to be installed in Edinburgh’s Victoria Park, after being relocated from Yorkshire.
Earlier this month the garden, named ‘Drakkar’s Drift’, was on display at the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS) Flower Show, Wentworth Woodhouse. Here it won a Gold Medal, RHS Young Designer of the Year, People’s Choice and Best Construction awards.
The garden, inspired by the history of the Scottish isles and its connections with the Vikings, will be installed on the site of one of two disused bowling greens returned to the Council by Edinburgh Leisure in 2023. Feedback from extensive local consultation carried out last year showed that residents were keen to see a sensory garden introduced to the area, alongside other options.
The garden has been dismantled and transported back to Edinburgh thanks to £20k previously secured and a fundraising drive is now underway to raise the additional £30k needed to reconstruct and embed Drakkar’s Drift in Edinburgh as a public asset. This will include expanding the design of the garden to meet the needs of the site and introducing paths, seating, and other features.
Councillor Margaret Graham said:
Luke’s Gold Medal success is a celebration of local creativity meeting international horticultural excellence. Bringing Drakkar’s Drift to Edinburgh would enrich our parks and unite community, nature and culture.
We’ve been listening to residents, many of whom told us they’d like to see sensory planting on the site of the park’s old bowling green. As well as bringing this beautiful garden to the site, this project would enhance and develop it for community use. I’d encourage anyone with an interest in the site to support the campaign if they can.
Designer Luke Coleman creates eco-friendly garden designs that harmonise with nature, where communities and ecosystems can thrive. Since the design of the garden began, he has envisioned that it would return to Edinburgh for residents to enjoy.
Luke said:
It’s been a dream to bring Drakkar’s Drift to life at the RHS Show, and now, seeing it find a permanent home in Edinburgh is something truly special. This project is about more than design; it’s about community, connection, and creating a legacy. I’m incredibly grateful for the support so far, and I hope people will get behind the fundraiser to help us rebuild the garden for everyone to enjoy.
Amongst the garden’s elements are four mature trees, 1,500 herbaceous perennials, 13.5 tonnes of mossy boulders and living sculptures that support biodiversity.
Drakkar’s Drift draws inspiration from the basalt columns of Fingal’s Cave on the uninhabited island of Staffa – an interest sparked by a 2023 trip that led Luke to deeper research into the island’s history. The Norse word ‘Drakkar’ refers to Viking ships displaying a dragon head at their front and so reminds of the arrival of the Vikings in the northern Scottish isles over a thousand years ago.
Find out more about the project and donate online.