The Lady Garden Foundation is a charity committed to ending the silence and stigma surrounding gynaecological cancers, and its ‘Silent No More’ show garden will be raising awareness of, and kickstarting conversation around, gynaecological cancers, with he charity aiming to use this powerful platform to propel these often overlooked cancers into the national spotlight in 2026.
With its striking, immersive design - featuring forms and planting that subtly echo the female body - the garden invites curiosity and encourages open conversation about the five gynaecological cancers: ovarian, cervical, vulval, womb, and vaginal. These are cancers that, tragically, claim the lives of 21 women every day in the UK. Enabling these cancers to be talked about openly will lead to early diagnoses that will ultimately save lives.
Over the past two years, Darren has immersed himself in the foundation’s bold and unflinching campaign work, exploring the taboos and silences that often surround gynaecological cancers. He has also spent time with medical professionals, patients, and their families at the Royal Marsden Hospital, gaining a deep understanding of their experiences and the inhibitions the garden seeks to overcome.
Darren said: “I hope my ‘Silent No More’ garden will help shine a spotlight on the symptoms of gynaecological cancers, raising awareness of their devastating impact on women and their families when diagnosed late. I hope to encourage men across the UK to play an active role in conversations about the health of the women in their lives – in the same way I have as a husband, father, son and brother - so they know the right words and knowledge to help break the silence that too often surrounds gynaecological cancers.”
The Spanish artist Eduardo Chillida has influenced many of the design features. For the garden layout and water feature, Darren drew inspiration from Chillida’s Inguru III, an etching which reminded him of typical textbook drawings of the gynaecological anatomy. These drawings, commonly symmetrical, led him to look at the impact of cancer and how it distorts this normal, leading to imperfections and oddities that are reflected across the design.
As visitors stand at the edge of the garden, they will be visually struck by four striking architectural clay structures measuring 2.5 metres high. The overhanging tops of these structures form a cocoon-like space, evoking the protective nature of the womb and inviting viewers to begin their own interpretations and conversations.
Once they enter the garden, visitors will encounter richly planted borders of shifting tones of colours, beginning with soft, silky greys, pale pinks and light blues, into stronger, bolder tones, which will cascade around five sculptures. These sculptures, each representing one of the five cancers, have been commissioned from renowned ceramicist Hannah Hartwell.
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