Pop star Will Young has made his garden design debut at this year’s RHS Wisley Flower Show, which runs from 1–6 September.
Working with plantsman and RHS gold medal-winning designer Jamie Butterworth, Will has created Out of the Shadows — a planting installation inspired by psychologist Carl Jung’s concept of the ‘shadow self’: the parts of ourselves we keep hidden from the world.
Although Out of the Shadows marks Will’s first garden design, he has long had a passion for plants. The 2002 Pop Idol winner lives in a 17th-century house in Wiltshire, near Hungerford in Berkshire, with a large, overgrown garden that he is gradually transforming. He regularly shares updates with his followers on Instagram and earlier this year he launched his own YouTube gardening channel.
Inside Will Young’s first garden design
The finished garden is formed of three planted cubes, each representing a different stage of an emotional and psychological journey. In the first, dense layers of shade-loving ferns, lush foliage and red berries create a secluded, woodland-like atmosphere, showing how beautiful shady planting can be. As visitors move through the installation, this gradually gives way to airy grasses and colourful flowers, creating a transition from density and seclusion to light and openness.
The first cube, Beneath the Canopy, represents the hidden parts of our psyche. Here, dense, layered planting creates a quiet atmosphere of seclusion, encouraging visitors to pause and reflect.
The second cube, Where the Light Falls, is a transitional garden featuring dappled shade and lighter, more open planting. It symbolises the moment we begin to acknowledge the parts of ourselves that have remained hidden.
The third and final cube, Into the Open, follows a light, naturalistic planting scheme, with sun-loving, colourful herbaceous perennials celebrating clarity, openness, vitality and possibility.
‘I’d been looking at Jungian shadow work for some time and thought it was fascinating and could translate so well into planting and a garden installation, so I’m delighted to be able to bring it to life alongside Jamie at the RHS Wisley Flower Show,’ says Will. ‘I hope it encourages people to see how density and shade can be beautiful and as a metaphor, invites them to look into their own psyche as beauty often hides in the dark.’
Will Young’s love of gardening
Will has previously spoken about how gardening has helped his anxiety and mental health – and how his passion for horticulture runs in the family. Speaking to Joe Swift on BBC's Gardeners’ World in 2019, he said: 'Gardening has become a very beneficial thing for my wellbeing. It's something that I deliberately put into my daily and weekly routine.
'My mum is a garden designer, as is my dad and my sister. I was a gardener throughout my A-Levels and university. I used to listen to music while I mowed [the lawn] and would listen to my audition songs for Pop Idol. I also earned the money to get me up to London for the audition by gardening.
'Where would I be without gardening. I just love it — it's so good for the soul.'
How to see Out of the Shadows
Out of the Shadows will be on display for one week only (from 1–6 September) at this year’s RHS Wisley Flower Show, alongside late-summer displays, award-winning specialist nurseries, shopping and expert talks.
• Entry to the RHS Wisley Flower Show is free, although normal garden admission applies. Tickets are available via the RHS website with admission starting from £19 for adults and £6 for children. Under-fives and carers are admitted free.
