Tim Jennings Design was commissioned to expand and enhance the wildflower garden on the East Lawn of Ely Cathedral — one of Cambridgeshire’s most iconic and historically significant landmarks.
Working in harmony with the existing wildflower planting created by the brilliant Ely Cathedral volunteer gardeners, this new garden celebrates naturalistic design with a focus on biodiversity, structure, and year-round interest.
The planting brings together a carefully balanced mix of native wildflowers, grasses, bulbs, and select cultivated species to offer food, habitat, and shelter for pollinators, birds, and other wildlife across all seasons.
Timber uprights, insect hotels, and soft gravel paths invite visitors to interact with the space to step inside, play, learn, and feel part of the natural world, rather than simply observe it from the edges.
This is a garden designed not just to be seen, but to be experienced. Whether walking through it or pausing to reflect among the planting, visitors are welcomed into a living landscape that grows with the rhythms of the seasons grounded in place, shaped by nature, and open to all.
Project Snapshot: Ely Cathedral Wildflower Garden
A naturalistic planting scheme for the East Lawn of Ely Cathedral, designed to support pollinators, extend the existing wildflower area, and invite visitors to walk through, explore, and connect with nature.
Creating a Living Landscape at Ely Cathedral
This new wildflower garden, designed by Tim Jennings for the East Lawn of Ely Cathedral, builds upon the remarkable work of the cathedral’s gardening volunteers — expanding the space into a structured yet free-flowing haven for wildlife and people alike
Tim’s signature planting style is driven by natural systems, combining structural grasses, nectar-rich perennials, and textural planting that evolves beautifully across the year. The palette includes native species like Devil’s-bit Scabious and Red Clover, blended with garden favourites such as Astrantia, Digitalis, and Verbena bonariensis to create a rhythm of colour and life.
Designed to be interactive, the garden draws people in with gently winding paths, anchored timber features, and soft natural materials underfoot. It’s a space for reflection, learning, play, and wonder — a small but meaningful step toward more connected, climate-conscious public landscapes in the heart of Cambridgeshire.
Looking to bring more design into your own garden?
Tim Jennings Design is based in Ely and Lode in Cambridgeshire and specialises in creating naturalistic gardens that support wildlife while maintaining structure, elegance, and functionality.
Explore our consultation services or get in touch to start designing a wildlife-friendly garden in Ely or across Cambridgeshire.
Tim’s design studios is next door to the beautiful and famous gardens of Anglesey abbey in Lode, Cambridge.
With design studios in the famous cathedral city of Ely and next door to the beautiful gardens of Anglesey Abbey in Lode, Cambridge, Tim Jennings Design is rooted in two of Cambridgeshire’s most inspiring landscapes.
For more information please contact Tim on 07931 278692
or email: tim@timjenningsdesign.co.uk
