This summer, Disney’s The Lion King returns to nature, stepping off the West End stage and onto the plot, with a community garden inspired by the arid conditions of the African savanna.

Designed by Juliet Sargeant, the ‘Circle of Life’ garden, inspired by the stage show’s elaborate production and bold colours, will feature at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Garden Festival with live performances and interactive activities taking place throughout the week.

The ‘Circle of Life’ will be a “colourful and stimulating space for Lion King fans” says Sargeant, “bringing a taste of the stage show to new audiences.”

Juliet Sargeant – designer for The Lion King Anniversary Garden

Sergeant, who was inspired by the “artistry behind the scenes as well as the performances on stage”, says the ”’Circle of Life’ will be echoed throughout” the garden, “creating balance and harmony.”

With a planting scheme straight from the plains of the Pridelands, Sergeant’s design will be filled with “vibrant and drought-tolerant flowers”, inspired by the stage show’s costumes – designed by Julie Taymor.

“Climate resilient plants and trees such as Bulbinella frutescens ‘Sunset Orange, ‘Zanthoxyllum simulans, Kniphofia varieties, Zelkova serrata, Savannah Ruby Grass, and Gleditsia Skyline, will offer practical, drought-tolerant take-home ideas for show visitors to plant in their own outdoor spaces.”

Dusty red soil will be planted with swathes of resilient grasses, encompassed by a wildlife-friendly dry hedge, “to create a traditional Boma and provide a communal meeting place for visitors to enjoy,” – earthen walls will be used as a sustainable hard-landscaping material.

Sergeant says the “parched landscape of the African savanna”, is a continuous backdrop to the drama on stage, and provided her with an “inspirational well-spring, from which to create a drought-tolerant garden with lots of practical ideas for people to take home.”

“I’ll be using drought tolerant trees and climate resilient grasses and perennials, plus there will be an easy and cheap to build, dry hedge for wildlife habitat.”

With the climate emergency hot on everyone’s minds and evident in their gardens, extreme weather conditions continue to be a cause for concern. This includes arid conditions all the way to flooding in the space of a few months.

Disney’s The Lion King at the Lyceum Theatre. Photo by Deen van Meer

So much so that rainwater collection made its way onto the main stage of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show this year with The WaterAid Garden, co-designed by Tom Massey and Je Ahn.

And while gardens continue to take the brunt of both the climate and biodiversity emergency, the way in which people garden is also taking a hit from the economic stick.

Sergeant aims to use her plot of land at this year’s RHS Hampton Court to not only celebrate the ‘Circle of Life’ and bring to attention the importance and beauty of drought-resilient species, she also wants to “promote the use of materials that are already in your garden.”

After the show closes the garden will be relocated to the Hospice in the Weald, Kent, where it will be tended to by a team of volunteers and available to visit by the public.

The ‘Circle of Life’ will feature at this year’s RHS Hampton Court Palace Festival, featuring performances from the cast of the award-winning West End musical, The Lion King.

RHS Hampton Court will take place 2 – 7 July 2024, for more information, visit: www.rhs.org.uk/shows-events/rhs-hampton-court-palace-garden-festival