The Saltire Garden, a 200-square-metre Scottish nature garden, has been relocated to its permanent home in Port Glasgow after featuring in the Commonwealth Games Opening Ceremony in Glasgow. The garden, which was designed by nursery owner and TV presenter Jamie Butterworth, is evocative of Scotland and features a range of local plants and elements inspired by the setting.
The garden was built across 18 interlocking trays on wheels, allowing it to be slotted into place in just two minutes for a quick scene change during the ceremony. Jamie Butterworth worked with creative director and stage designer Amalie White to create the innovative garden, which is inspired by the colours and textures of traditional tartan and tweed.
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Jamie Butterworth explained that the garden features a range of plants, including Molinia, Sesleria, and Calamagrostis, which provide a baseline texture of wild setting and blend into a sweeping, heather-inspired palette of blues and purples. The garden also includes Agastache, Catananche, Perovskia, and Sanguisorba, among other plants, which evoke coastal paths, alpine highlands, and loch-sides.
The garden’s design is intended to provide volume, colour, and a sense of wildness and the wider setting, according to Jamie Butterworth. The garden’s 2,400 perennials, trees, and shrubs have now been relocated to their permanent home at Parklea Branching Out (PBO) in Port Glasgow.
Parklea Branching Out is a charity that offers horticulture-based training and support within the local community. They will plant the Saltire Garden permanently into its borders, where it will be enjoyed by the people who work in and visit the space. Amalie White said that it is rare for a piece of set design to have a life beyond the stage, but the Saltire Garden was created using living plants, making it possible for it to find a permanent home in Scotland.
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Christine Falconer, head of therapeutic horticulture at PBO, said that the organisation is delighted to receive the garden. She explained that gardening and connecting to nature can build confidence, improve wellbeing and communication, and develop practical skills. The garden will create meaningful opportunities for PBO’s clients, trainees, and volunteers for years to come.
The Saltire Garden’s relocation to Port Glasgow is a fitting next chapter in its story, according to Amalie White. It will continue to thrive in its new home, where it can be enjoyed by the local community. The garden’s legacy will live on, providing a space where people can learn, grow, and thrive.
