It is great to have a patch of land that you can mould in any way that you choose. I love to take a stroll around my village and to look at what my neighbours have chosen to do with their front gardens. It can be an expression of your interests, your personality or just how much time you have to garden.
In winter the warm glow from behind closed curtains suggests a homely cosiness and in summer bright flowers shout optimism and fun.
These were my first thoughts about the design of the Modern Slavery Garden – the freedom that is represented by the colourful gardens of an ordinary British street.
But then, my mind turned to the hidden nature of slavery today; the darkness that is concealed behind some doors on our streets and in our towns. We are not all free.
So, the garden has vibrant summer planting and glossy front doors, but at its centre there is blackness and a single, striking oak tree. A tree with a tale to tell.