Royal Gardener Explains the Meaning Behind the Iconic White Blooms on Display in Princess Diana’s Favorite Garden

Inside Kensington Palace, a special exhibition of photographs and fashion honors Princess Diana to mark the 20th anniversary of her death. And outside the palace, the royal gardeners created their own memorial to the Princess: A stunning makeover of her favorite palace garden incorporating meaningful colors, flowers, and locations.

Head gardener Sean Harkin spoke to Country Living UK about the inspiration for the outdoor exhibit, which is located in the Sunken Garden -- "a particular favorite of Princess Diana's." Harkin was inspired by the fashion on display inside, which included many iconic white and cream-colored gowns, to fill most of the garden with white flowers. "The whole feel of the exhibition, those photos and the dresses," he said, "was quite radiant, and the feeling was quite uplifting which is what we wanted the garden to be." When choosing the specific flowers to include, he relied on the blooms Diana liked best, including forget-me-nots, lillies, and roses, while including daisies and other plants inspired by her cheery floral dresses.

"We didn't want the garden to be flat, we wanted it to be celebratory and joyful," Harkin said, describing the accent blooms of silver, gold, pink, and purple. "We don't want it to just be a memorial garden, we want it to be an uplifting and happy garden."